Optimism in the New Year
Happy New Year to each of you in our Wiregrass community!
Stepping into 2024 as the new CEO of Wiregrass Electric, I feel excited and humbled, acutely aware of the weight and responsibility of this role. It has been my privilege and honor to serve at WEC for the past 18 years. I am truly blessed to be part of a great team that has accomplished so much for our cooperative and community. As Les embarks on his well-deserved retirement, I’ve been reflecting on the lessons he’s imparted — lessons of service, dedication, and above all, caring for our members.
Under Les’ leadership, we created programs that improve the quality of life for our membership and managed costs with more efficiencies — all to keep rates as low as possible while improving reliability. During this time, we also forged strong relationships with citizens, elected officials, and business and community leaders. It is my commitment to members to continue on this path.
WEC is well-positioned to navigate the challenges facing our co-op and the electric utility industry as a whole. We are moving in the right direction that is strategic and guided by benchmarking data and best practices, sound board policy, and careful financial planning. We are focused on reliability and maintaining a member-centric attitude, all while embracing safe work practices.
Transitioning into this role, I am keenly aware that I’m standing on the shoulders of a giant. Les guided us with wisdom, grace, and a steady hand on the wheel. I am reminded every day of the trust placed in me by the Board of Trustees, representing you, to guide this co-op. And I am not alone. Surrounding me is a team of excellent leaders in their own respects, and together, I promise to continue our member-centric approach in all that we do.
This team of senior staff leaders is a blend of familiar faces, well-placed and well-prepared for the journey ahead. I assure you this transition is smooth and strategic, elevating the strengths of the people deeply committed to our organization and the principles of the cooperative model. I look forward to working with our team here at WEC to continue the legacy Les has shown us all here of standing in the gap for rural America!
Though we are separated by different departments and different offices across our service territory, we enjoy coming together for Employee Day. It’s a day when we gather as 1 big WEC family to celebrate milestones like longevity awards, recognizing those who’ve given years of service to our co-op. We also do training and team-building exercises.
This is important as we navigate changing terrains and something that’s on all our minds — energy costs. The world of energy is shifting under our feet. PowerSouth’s necessity to move away from coal, driven by environmental regulations, has nudged us toward a reliance on natural gas and a move toward incorporating more nuclear energy.
As you’ve seen, part of your residential bill now reflects capacity costs, in part to recoup costs associated with the capacity we need to meet member demand. If you flip to Page 8, you’ll read more about the excess demand charge and ways you can keep your household’s individualized charge as low as possible by reducing your home’s demand.
I believe in always being upfront with you. When costs go up, it’s not something we take lightly. It’s our duty to explain why, and it’s your right to understand it. Together, we can navigate these roads, making smarter choices about how we use energy.
I implore you to use all the resources Wiregrass Electric offers — whether it be reading the advice we give in this magazine, bill inserts, and social media, or discussing your concerns directly with a member services representative. We want to help you understand these changes and how to mitigate excess demand in your own household so we can keep costs as low as possible for everyone.
As we step into 2024, I’m filled with optimism. Optimism for the innovative solutions we’ll explore, for the challenges we’ll overcome together, and for the continued opportunity to serve you in this new role.