Wiregrass Electric Cooperative (WEC) conducted its annual meeting in late October, and CEO Les Moreland outlined how the cooperative CARES for its membership during the keynote speech.
- Clean: As renewable sources of energy become more affordable, they are included in the power WEC provides through PowerSouth Energy Cooperative. PowerSouth closed a coal-burning plant in 2020 and will bring a natural gas plant online in 2022.
- Affordable: By working efficiently, WEC employees allow the cooperative to return money to its members. In 2021, WEC returned about $750,000 in power cost adjustments plus another $1.7 million in capital credits to its membership.
- Reliable: Thanks to the dedication of its employees and investment in the power grid, WEC maintains a 99.9% system reliability score. This means the average WEC member is without power fewer than 100 minutes a year.
- Efficient: An investment in technology allows WEC employees to be more productive, which means the cooperative can keep staffing levels the same despite growth in the system.
- Safe: As of late October, WEC employees have not suffered a significant injury since 2003.
In election results, WEC members approved a list of proposed bylaw changes by a vote of 778-200. Randy Odom defeated Glenn Maloy 1,183-785 in the race for the District 2 trustee spot.