Storm & Outage Center
By CEO Randy Carroll
Ringing in a new year sparks a sense of renewed hope and optimism about the future. As the CEO/General Manager of East Mississippi Electric Power Association, for me, it’s a time to reflect on where we are and where we’re going. At the heart of this reflection, I think about ways we can better serve you, the members of the cooperative.
Our team at EMEPA is always looking ahead, exploring ways to innovate and utilize new technologies to improve our services. As our nation increasingly relies on electricity to power the economy, keeping the lights on has never been more important or challenging. We’re committed to powering––and empowering––our communities at a sustainable, reliable, resilient, and affordable level.
So how are we working to ensure reliable and affordable power while adapting to a changing energy landscape and our community’s evolving needs?
One critical component of reliable power is a mix of energy resources used to generate the electricity that keeps the lights on across our system. You may not realize it, but EMEPA doesn’t generate electricity. Instead, we purchase it from our energy wholesalers, Mississippi Power Company and the Tennessee Valley Authority. From there, we distribute it to homes and businesses throughout our community.
These wholesale power providers increasingly use more electricity generated from renewable energy sources, but it requires a diverse energy mix to ensure reliable power that’s available to our members whenever they need it.
In addition to managing power purchases, EMEPA is using technology to enhance our local grid, reduce service disruption times, and improve outage response.
Advanced metering technology, also known as AMI, enables two-way communication between the co-op and consumers. In the event of a power outage, AMI notifies me and our team of where the outages are taking place. AMI helps EMEPA save time with real-time data, and ultimately improves power reliability for our entire community.
Proactive tree trimming is another way we limit service disruptions. Scheduled trimming keeps power lines clear from overgrown limbs and trees that are likely to fall. Continuous inspection of lines and vegetation allows us to bolster reliability by finding hot spots needing trimming.
As we turn our focus to 2024, EMEPA will continue working to provide the reliable, affordable electricity you expect and deserve––for today and tomorrow.