Kentucky Electric Cooperatives spent the morning in Mayfield with West Kentucky RECC Communications and Media Relations Coordinator, Georgann Lookofsky.

Surrounded by debris, destruction and an uncertain future for the western Kentucky communities they call home, electric cooperative employees and mutual aid crews are focusing on power restoration after an unprecedented series of massive and deadly tornadoes Friday night, December 10, in what is described as the worst disaster in Kentucky history.

At least 74 people are confirmed dead in Kentucky, with numbers still expected to rise. According to Governor Andy Beshear, the death toll includes 20 in Graves County, 13 in Hopkins County, 11 in Muhlenberg County; 12 in Warren County; four in Caldwell County; one each in Marshall, Taylor, Fulton and Lyon counties. Of the dead, 18 are still unidentified.

The ages of those lost range from 5 months to 86 years, including six victims younger than 18. In addition, 105 people remain unaccounted for; and hundreds injured.

Among the dead is Kentucky District Judge Brian Crick who served McLean and Muhlenberg counties. Calculating the human toll has been complicated by spotty phone and internet service, so some people who may have survived may not be able to reach loved ones or authorities, or may not know that they are unaccounted.

Gov. Andy Beshear says thousands of homes are destroyed, in addition to countless more that are unlivable or seriously damaged. Hundreds of businesses, churches and government buildings are total losses.

The largest of four Kentucky tornadoes first touched down in Arkansas, gaining strength along a cold front as it moved into Missouri, Tennessee and Kentucky, pulverizing downtown Mayfield, a city of about 10,000, and ultimately plowing a 220 mile-long path through Princeton, Dawson Springs and other rural communities and as far east as Breckenridge County.

Another tornado killed 12 people and caused extensive damage in the Bowling Green area, including the destruction of approximately 500 homes and 100 businesses. Especially hard hit is the US-31 bypass area and several neighborhoods. A 100,000-square-foot warehouse in the Kentucky Transpark was leveled.

After Beshear declared a state of emergency and deployed the Kentucky National Guard on Saturday, President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration, dispatching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanna Criswell to the commonwealth to assess the damage and recommend federal response. Biden is expected to visit Kentucky.

The declaration makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Caldwell, Fulton, Graves, Hopkins, Marshall, Muhlenberg, Taylor and Warren counties.

Criswell said FEMA teams are prioritizing finding housing for people displaced in the disaster. Kentucky State Parks is housing some people from Dawson Springs.

From a high of more than 80,000 consumer-members who lost power when four tornadoes shredded everything in their paths, crews had restored service to all but about 16,000 members as of Monday morning. “It appears that work is really moving,” Beshear said.

Though western Kentucky bore the brunt of the disaster, co-ops all across the commonwealth worked to restore power from the December storms. The co-op mutual aid system saw crews helping fellow co-ops in every region.

In addition to an estimated 1,000 co-op distribution poles snapped in the tornadoes, the Tennessee Valley Authority reports approximately 100 TVA power structures (towers and poles) were damaged or destroyed, 29 TVA transmission lines were down and more than 20 customer connection points lost service, mainly in Kentucky.

In Ohio County, Big Rivers Electric worked with Kenergy Corp, to restore power in the southern portion of the co-op’s service territory.

The number of co-ops offering assistance surpassed the capacity to receive them. At West Kentucky RECC, mutual aid crews from Jackson Purchase Energy, Tombigbee Electric (Mississippi), Shelby Energy, Licking Valley RECC, Cumberland Valley Electric, South Kentucky RECC, Blue Grass Energy and Salt River Electric are assisting. Historic downtown Mayfield, about a mile from the co-op headquarters, resembled a war zone, the county courthouse steeple sheared off and landmarks and businesses in rubble.

“We are also focusing on maximizing available power sources to serve as many members as possible,” said Georgann Lookofsky of WKRECC. “That’s why we have asked Graves County residents who do have service to conserve power whenever possible. The conservation efforts are paying off–we’ve seen usage drop, which allows us to return service to more members.”

Substations serving the Mayfield area and northern Graves County were still without TVA power on Monday. Meanwhile, WKRECC’s operations center sustained damage and the co-op’s communications systems have been hampered, including the phone system and the website outage map.

At Warren RECC, crews from Fleming Mason Energy, Tri-County Electric, Owen Electric, Nolin RECC, Blue Grass Energy and Jackson Energy are on the scene.

In its service territory of the four westernmost counties in Kentucky and eight northwestern Tennessee counties, Gibson EMC reported 26 outage locations and about 4,000 member homes and businesses without power.

“The tornadoes left broken poles on every road they crossed from the Mississippi River to the eastern boundary of our service area,” said Barry Smith, Gibson EMC VP of Engineering and Operations. “The damage amounts to hundreds of broken poles.”

“Even with all of Gibson EMC’s lineworkers and lineworkers from Pickwick Electric, Milan Public Utilities, Jackson Energy Authority, Forked Deer Electric Cooperative, Chickasaw Electric Cooperative and Service Electric, repairing the monumental damage is a painfully slow process,” said Dan Rodamaker, President and CEO of Gibson EMC and Gibson Connect. “We know how very difficult a lengthy outage is for our members and we are pushing hard to restore electric and internet service as quickly as we safely can.”

At Pennyrile Rural Electric, crews have been working around the clock since the storms passed Friday night.  As of Monday afternoon, about 2,600 members were without power in Christian, Todd, Logan and Trigg counties. Several of the damaged TVA transmission structures in this area are being rebuilt.

Churches, civic organizations and individuals have started supply drives collecting water, food, paper goods, pet food, blankets, gift cards and more.

Beshear urged Kentuckians who want to help to stay off the roads and leave room for first responders. Instead, he encouraged people to donate blood and cash donations to a fund “dedicated to helping the on-the-ground efforts going on right now and the relief efforts these families are going to need to rebuild.”

The Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund is live at TeamWKYReliefFund.ky.gov. https://secure.kentucky.gov/formservices/Finance/WKYRelief

According to the governor, the fund will provide $5,000 to each victim’s family for funeral expenses. There is no need to apply the state will be working to contact families. As of Monday, December 13, the fund has received 30,175 donations totaling $4,009,817.71.

“We’re grateful for the outpouring of support, of attention, of prayers from this country and from the world,” Beshear said. “It’s all we can ask for and it’s just pure love. One country united, worried about us.”

“What I hope they see is that we also love one another,” Beshear continued. “We are good people that care about one another. We open our homes, we open our businesses. As people get power on, they are reaching out to everybody else to invite them in.”

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (November 17, 2021) — Longtime agriculture leader David Beck, the president and CEO of Kentucky Venues and former head of the Kentucky Farm Bureau, was honored as the “2021 Distinguished Rural Kentuckian” at the 75^th Annual Meeting of Kentucky Electric Cooperatives. The award is the highest honor bestowed by Kentucky’s electric cooperatives, which consists of 26 co-ops across the commonwealth. 

Following a video tribute to Beck at the 75^th Annual Meeting Banquet of Kentucky Electric Cooperatives on Monday, November 15, the Lyon County native and distinguished Murray State University alumnus said he was humbled to be selected to join the illustrious list of past honorees. The tribute and speeches from the co-op meeting can be viewed on the YouTube channel of Kentucky Electric Cooperatives.

“As a young boy growing up at the end of a gravel road, you never know where life is going to take you,” Beck told the crowd of several hundred people from co-ops and invited guests, paying tribute to those who mentored him and gave him opportunities throughout his career. “True leadership is being able to cause people to believe in themselves and not just yourself.”

The cooperative meeting also included a keynote address by 2018 Distinguished Rural Kentuckian Warren Beeler, who shared both his passion for the progress, science and technology of Kentucky agriculture and life lessons on and off the farm. The keynote speaker at the association’s closing breakfast was former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Kelly Craft, who emphasized the importance of the proven reliability of the electric grid amid pressures to transition to less reliable sources of energy generation.

In his 41 years with the Kentucky Farm Bureau, including 23 years as its executive vice president and secretary of the Kentucky Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company, Beck became a strong and reliable advocate for farmers and rural Kentucky interests. He played a key role in the passage of significant legislation, including:

• House Bill 44 in 1979 which secured low property tax rates in Kentucky, 
• The grain insurance bill approved by the Kentucky General Assembly in 1984 that protects farmers in the event of a grain elevator bankruptcy,
• In 1994, the Kentucky Agriculture Water Quality Act that protects surface and groundwater resources from pollution and protects farmers from over burdensome state environmental regulations. That legislation is still viewed as a model for other states and pushed Kentucky to the forefront in agriculture-related conversation.
• In 2000, the passage of the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement which led to the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board and Fund that have changed the face of agriculture in Kentucky and helped many farm families remain on the farm.

“David Beck’s dedication to improving the lives and livelihoods of Kentuckians echoes the mission of the commonwealth’s electric cooperatives and the purpose of this award,” said Chris Perry, president and CEO of Kentucky Electric Cooperatives. “David is a faithful ally of electric co-ops who have long appreciated his partnership and trust.”

The 75^th Annual Meeting also included highlights from the statewide association’s archives with photos and film from throughout Kentucky co-op history which dates to 1936 when the Rural Electrification Administration approved the first loan for a Kentucky co-op. At the time, only three percent of Kentucky farms had electric service. Over the next decade, local Kentuckians in rural communities created the co-ops that to this day are still locally owned and controlled, providing electric service to about 1.5 million Kentuckians in 117 of the commonwealth’s 120 counties. The statewide association was incorporated in 1943 and began operations in 1948, after the first Annual Meeting on June 22, 1947.

In his update to association membership, Perry explained that the goals of the association today remain consistent with those of its first president, J.K. Smith, who in 1948 laid out the plan to support, advocate and educate on behalf of member cooperatives. Perry emphasized recent investments in the statewide organization’s Safety and Loss Prevention team that works with co-ops on specific training and the promotion of a safety culture. The team also supports the mutual aid efforts of electric cooperatives which in 2021 included a massive response to back-to-back-to-back ice and snowstorms that required in many cases a rebuilding of the electric distribution system in hard hit areas of eastern Kentucky.

Perry also updated the association’s efforts to engage with elected leaders and regulators, providing solid facts on co-op operations and establishing trust on several pressing issues, including economic development, environmental stewardship and compliance, broadband deployment, and fair pole attachment rates and procedures. Perry moderated a panel discussion with the chairs of both the Senate and House Natural Resources and Energy Committee’s, Sen. Brandon Smith, and Rep. Jim Gooch. A separate panel discussion featured the majority floor leaders of both houses of the General Assembly, Sen. Damon Thayer and Rep. Steven Rudy.

Despite a strong financial report from the association and its United Utility Supply Cooperative, a leading material supply organizations serving the rural electric market in 17 states, Perry noted that the inflationary pressures and supply-chain disruptions being experienced across the country demand constant attention and are a concern. He was among several speakers to emphasize the need for effective and transparent communications with consumer-members and policymakers, citing the success of Kentucky Living magazine as a key resource and part of an expanding communications portfolio to convey co-op information and support economic development, safety and member education. As was in the case in 1948, the association continues to provide support for co-op annual meetings across the state.

Finally, Perry underscored the role of Kentucky’s electric cooperatives as the trusted energy advisors for local consumer-members as new technologies and standards emerge, such as the electric vehicle revolution and renewable energy issues. 

In her address to close out the meeting, Ambassador Craft stressed the importance of reliable electricity and cautioned that global carbon agreements threaten to undermine the reliability of both America’s electric grid and the aspirations of developing nations.

“You all know reality,” Craft told the co-op gathering. “And one reality that is as old as time is the following: you do not abandon what works and what you know works.”

As electric cooperatives contend with global supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, they’re working with their suppliers, vendors and logistics providers to meet demand for parts and other key components essential to keeping power flowing.

“We’re facing long lead times for pad-mounted transformers and PVC pipe used for conduits for underground distribution,” said Tim Gibson, purchasing agent for Wauchula, Florida-based Peace River Electric Cooperative. “Digital meter availability has also been a big problem due to the worldwide shortage of microchips, so we’ve projected six-month demand and ordered them for staggered delivery to meet our needs.”

Long lead times for some parts, like polyvinyl chloride pipe and fittings, have been extended due to feed stock shortages or curtailed operations at petrochemical plants in Texas and Louisiana caused by weather or staffing challenges. Pandemic-related concerns and shipping delays have also prompted some warehouse managers to increase reserves on hand by doubling and even tripling up on their inventories.

“We’re routinely looking at the usage history of our customers so we can anticipate their actual demand for 2022 and the following year,” said Bret Curry, sales manager at Arkansas Electric Cooperatives Inc. The Little Rock-based logistics and service arm of the Arkansas statewide association serves as the principal parts and equipment supplier for about 400 utilities, including co-ops in five Mid-South states.

AECI also regularly consults with members of the Electric Utility Distribution Association, which includes nine member-owned logistics suppliers serving member-owned and public power interests. Several members of EUDA are reporting similar concerns across their client bases.

“Long lead times have caused inventory levels to fluctuate greatly—making it very hard to manage stockouts,” said Johnny Andrews, chief operating officer of Texas Electric Cooperatives’ manufacturing and distribution services division.

Among the strategies TEC has employed to address the supply shortage has been meeting demand with reconditioned equipment, like meters and transformers.

“This approach has worked extremely well for TEC due to the support of companies like Emerald Transformer and Allegiant Utility Services, which manufacturers and refurbishes meters,” said Andrews. “Both of these organizations have stock of refurbished equipment, offer product warranties that are similar or better than the original equipment manufacturers and can also refurbish and repair the co-ops’ equipment as well.”

While several EUDA members are advising clients that logistics challenges could linger well into 2023, the end of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season may provide a bit of relief. Storm activity along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts has been less damaging than normal this year, and seasonal reserves of parts and equipment built up since the spring will begin flowing back into inventories in December.

Still, co-ops are being encouraged to work with local developers on major projects to divide larger jobs into several phases, allowing for delivery of essential parts and components over extended periods.

“The key is planning, particularly for large developments or subdivisions slated for construction over the next three to four years,” said AECI’s Curry. “Talk to your builders and developers and tell them just what we’re telling our distribution co-ops. If they tell you they need to build out infrastructure for 100 new homes tomorrow, that’s not likely to be possible in this environment, and there are no hard expectations of that improving anytime soon.”

Derrill Holly is a staff writer for NRECA.

Early retirements and a desire by employees to transform their lifestyles—economic trends spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic—have made it tougher for some electric cooperatives to fill job openings.

Citizens Electric Corp. in Perryville, Missouri, recently lost about a half-dozen journeymen linemen to retirement or to private contractors that pay a bit more, offer or require large amounts of overtime and provide a chance to travel the nation building transmission lines.

“I do think the pandemic has had an impact,” said Curt Iffert, the co-op’s vice president of operations. “Some of the people who had an inclination to travel or move to a different area seized the opportunity.”

Those contractor jobs offer as much as 40 hours of lucrative overtime pay a week, which allows journeymen to earn much more than they would working a typical 40-hour week at a co-op for $80,000 to $100,000 a year, he said.

“I don’t think you’re going to do that forever,” Iffert said about the contract work. “Eventually, you’re going to burn out with that kind of lifestyle. They may opt to come back someday. But it’s going to take some time.”

The struggle to fill job openings is not confined to lineworkers.

Columbia Rural Electric Association in Walla Walla, Washington, recently got just seven applicants for a Geographic Information Systems technician. The last time the co-op advertised for a GIS tech, it had five times that many, said Manager of Engineering Grant Glaus. The job pays more than $50,000 a year.

“It just seems like there’s a big supply of jobs right now, so the demand we’re seeing from job applicants is down,” Glaus said.

High demand for warehouse workers nationwide has also had an impact on co-ops.

An entry-level warehouse job opening that pays $30 an hour attracted 20 job applicants instead of the 100 that Iffert expected.

“This is an industrywide problem that’s affecting investor-owned and public utilities, too,” he said. “I haven’t talked to anybody who is flooded with people banging on their door to be hired.”

The pandemic has also had an impact on hiring co-op CEOs and other senior staff, said Leigh Taylor, director of management services for NRECA Executive Search.

Early in the pandemic, she said, CEOs who had been thinking about moving to other co-ops turned down those opportunities because they didn’t want to leave their existing co-ops during an uncertain time.

“That loyalty was definitely a reflection of who we are as co-ops,” Taylor said.

As things got better, many CEOs who had been planning to retire in a few years opted to do it right away, creating more openings to be filled, she said. More than 225 co-op general managers and other top executives started within the last two years.

The key to finding new leaders may demand that co-op directors look beyond “a 40-year-old version of their beloved, long-serving CEO who is retiring,” Taylor said.

“I ask boards, ‘what competencies do you want in your next leader to meet the needs of your cooperative in the coming years? And if that looks different than what you’ve had before, be open to hiring someone with different skills.’”

Erin Kelly is a staff writer for NRECA.

The restoration of Beattyville City Park by volunteers from Jackson Energy Cooperative has been named the winner of the 2021 Beautify the Bluegrass Governor’s Award by Governor Andy Beshear and Kentucky Electric Cooperatives.

More than 45 Jackson Energy Cooperative employees volunteered 630-man-hours over a two-day span to help restore the Beattyville City Park after it was submerged and devastated by historic flooding earlier this year. The park was left in total disarray and was no longer safe for children in the community. The flood waters left behind damaged fencing, broken equipment and mounds of sand that covered everything from the top of the slides to the gutters on the shelter.

Under the guidance of Beattyville Mayor Scott Jackson, Jackson Energy Cooperative employees worked alongside several City of Beattyville employees to reconstruct the required safety fall-zone around each piece of play equipment, shoveled tons of sand and a truckload of mulch, repaired fencing, pressure-washed the play equipment and shelter building, revitalized the landscaping and added a final touch of paint.

“I am proud to partner with Kentucky’s electric cooperatives to support homegrown beautification efforts across the commonwealth and appreciate the cooperative spirit of Beautify the Bluegrass,” Beshear said in a video posted on his social media channels. “When we say “Team Kentucky,” this is what we’re talking about, Kentuckians who care about their communities and take action to help. All of the projects deserve recognition, and the work by these volunteers truly exemplifies concern for community. I am so pleased to present Jackson Energy Cooperative with the 2021 Beautify the Bluegrass Governor’s Award.”

“The employees of Jackson Energy understand the importance of a strong community and we are committed to doing our part,” says Carol Wright, president and CEO of Jackson Energy. “It was our privilege to work alongside the leaders of Beattyville-Lee County to restore their city park and to give a vital piece of their community back to them. When given the opportunity to give back, we are ready to make a positive impact for the families we call neighbors.”

Kentuckians voted for their favorite project on KentuckyLiving.com from among six finalists:
• McDougal Lake Trail Cleanup and Beautification (Hodgenville) – Knob Creek Conservancy
• Ohio County Park amphitheater stage reconstruction (Hartford) – Big Rivers Electric Corporation volunteers
• Lake Liberty transformation (Liberty) – Liberty Tourism and Trail Town Task Force
• The Monarch Mural (Franklin) – Franklin-Simpson Garden Club and volunteers
• Beattyville City Park restoration (Beattyville) – Jackson Energy volunteers and City of Beattyville
• Leslie County Community Canoe Cleanup (Leslie County, Middle Fork Kentucky River) – Organized by Kammy, Wyatt, Gabriella, and Jackson Ostrander, community volunteers

Kentucky Electric Cooperatives, the statewide association of Kentucky’s 26 locally owned and operated electric cooperatives, joined the “Beautify the Bluegrass” effort in 2018, in partnership with the Governor’s Office, because the initiative’s goals align with the cooperatives’ mission to improve quality of life in the communities they serve.

“Cooperatives are led by, belong to and were built by the communities we serve,” says Chris Perry, president and CEO of Kentucky Electric Cooperatives. “Our member co-ops are excited to partner with Gov. Beshear to recognize Kentuckians who roll up their sleeves and complete beautification projects because they care about their community.”

Kentucky co-op crews helping restore power in Louisiana are sharing photos of their experience and the devastation left behind by Hurricane Ida 11 days ago.

The photos show homes and businesses destroyed by winds exceeding 100 miles-per-hour, power restoration efforts in swampy marshlands and Louisiana residents thanking the line technicians for their dedication and hard work.

In addition to more than 120 contractors released by Kentucky co-ops, more than 40 Kentucky co-op personnel are assisting DEMCO, an electric cooperative serving the Greater Baton Rouge area. The co-op reports 78 percent meter-restoration, with remaining outages of 23,911.

On social media, the co-op is reminding its members that restoration of the electric grid is a multi-step process after a severe storm such as Hurricane Ida. “Major transmission must be restored in order to distribute large amounts of power through Louisiana, along with replacing hundreds of power poles and thousands of miles of power lines in hard to reach areas. Mutual assistance crews are here helping, but this is a lengthy process,” the co-op reported.

The Kentucky mutual aid response includes co-op crews from Fleming-Mason Energy, Kenergy Corp, Nolin RECC and the co-op’s Wide Open Utility Service subsidiary, Shelby Energy and South Kentucky RECC.

“The damage is extensive and devastating,” says Charlie Lewis, the mutual aid coordinator for Kentucky Electric Cooperatives. “Kentucky co-op crews are working long hours in very challenging conditions. In addition to a tremendous amount of debris and big jobs to replace hundreds of utility poles, the crews face hot and humid conditions with occasional thunderstorms. The people of Louisiana have been so gracious and grateful for the help our crews are providing. We continue to pray for everyone’s safety and for power to be restored as quickly as safety protocols allow.”

DEMCO powers 113,500+ meters that serve about a half million people in seven parishes: Ascension, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Livingston, St. Helena, West Feliciana, and Tangipahoa. The co-op has more than 250 employees.

Coordinated by Kentucky Electric Cooperatives, mutual aid crews from Kentucky co-ops are deployed to specific sister cooperatives who have requested their help. On daily conference calls, safety teams from each state assess optimal deployments. 

The top priority of each local Kentucky co-op is service to its own consumer-members.  Before committing resources to mutual aid requests, each co-op ensures it has ample crews available for all local needs, including routine maintenance and emergencies. 

In addition, Kentucky-based United Utility Supply Cooperative has reached out to cooperative distributors in the region to offer its assistance of material and supplies.

Because the national network of transmission and distribution infrastructure owned by electric cooperatives is built to federal standards, line crews from any co-op in America can arrive on the scene ready to provide emergency support, secure in their knowledge of the system’s engineering.

While electric cooperative crews have worked long, grueling hours clearing trees, dragging brush, setting poles and stringing lines to restore electricity to communities ravaged by Hurricane Ida, full restoration could still be weeks away in parts of Louisiana.

“Washington-St. Tammany Electric anticipates having everyone who can accept power fully restored within three weeks,” wrote officials from the Mandeville-based co-op in a weekend social media post.

WSTE has 650 broken poles and miles of downed conductor to replace, but with the help of hundreds of co-op mutual aid crews and contractors, the co-op has restored power to all but about 8,000 of its 52,000 meters.

“Lines with the largest number of members requiring the least amount of time will be restored first,” the co-op advised members. All seven transmission delivery points and 33 substations on its system are now energized, and distribution points are now the focus of restoration work.

“We must go from the source outward to the end,” said WSTE General Manager Charles Hill, comparing the systematic approach standard for power restoration to the design of a coin purse, wider at the bottom than at the drawstring securing the top.

“Groups will be energized before individuals,” wrote Hill, adding that crews will be shifted to other areas in need of help once work is completed, and service crews will ultimately be deployed to restore individual connections and smaller groups.

Off-road rights of way, cutting through muddy forested areas and marshland, continue to present challenges for crews working to restore power across south Louisiana.

With the help of 800 line technicians, vegetation management and support personnel, Dixie Electric Membership Corp. is battling back from near total system failure and now has 75% of its meters back in service.

“Transmission and distribution infrastructure were severely damaged or obliterated,” co-op officials wrote Monday. The Greenwell Springs-based co-op has 29,000 members still without power and is offering projections of a few days to up to four weeks for various parts of its service territory, contingent upon damage, accessibility and whether homes can safely receive power.

“Restoration estimates are based on knowledge we have at this time,” officials cautioned. “Unforeseen challenges are always possible and may alter these predictions.”

Where possible, the co-op is now rerouting power from other points to help get members back online. Up to 400 of its damaged poles still need to be replaced.

Electric co-ops serving the region receive their power from transmission systems operated by other utilities actively working to rebuild structural steel towers toppled by the Category 4 storm’s 150 mph-plus winds. The transmission providers continue to beef up their restoration efforts, and with most damage assessments completed, transmission repairs are expected to be wrapped up by midweek.

“Without transmission we will not be able to energize any lines, this is out of SLECA’s control,” said Joe Ticheli, general manager of Houma-based South Louisiana Electric Cooperative Association. “We continue to ask for your patience during this long ordeal.”

But with 1,100 contract and mutual aid co-op personnel on the ground across its service territory, SLECA’s largest-ever restoration effort is in full swing.

“Crews are setting poles, stringing wire, removing debris and rebuilding SLECA’s electric infrastructure that took over 83 years to build, across two parishes,” Ticheli said. “Even with the progress being made and the army of ‘boots on the ground,’ it will be a long process.”

More than 19,000 of SLECA’s 21,000 meters were out in the hours after the storm. Some of the most challenging restoration work is still ahead, with more than 17,000 meters still out, over 1,000 broken distribution poles being replaced and tracked vehicles being used in off-road areas.

The Association of Louisiana Electric Cooperatives continues to coordinate mutual aid crews and is working to address fuel, lodging and logistics issues for visiting crews and contractors.

“Preparations are gearing up to fill a second round of mutual aid requests aimed at replacing out-of- state crews initially committed to assignments lasting up to two weeks,” said Addie Armato, acting CEO of the statewide association. “We are also working with our mutual aid partners to help locate and source materials that are hard to find.”

While most co-ops in Mississippi completed restoration work last week, Summit-based Magnolia Electric Power Association was still finishing repairs Tuesday, though outages were down to less than 200 of its 35,200 meters. Restoration is expected to formally conclude Wednesday, but local crews could spend weeks collecting broken poles and other debris and making permanent repairs to co-op infrastructure.

Derrill Holly is a staff writer for NRECA.