NASHVILLE – As the massive Hurricane Sandy bears down on the Atlantic Seaboard, 60 lineworkers from Tennessee’s electric cooperatives are prepared to assist with power restoration once the storm subsides.

“Seven Tennessee cooperatives are sending volunteer lineworkers and equipment to assist cooperatives in Virginia and Maryland,” said David Callis, executive vice president and general manager of the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association. “We expect this storm to cause extensive power outages, and our crews are staged in the area to respond quickly once it is safe to do so.”

Emergency work plans were put into place on Friday, Oct. 26, and crews from Tennessee headed for Virginia and Maryland beginning early on Saturday, Oct. 27. This cooperation is enabled through mutual aid agreements between electric cooperatives.

Assisting Northern Neck Electric Cooperative in Warsaw, Va.:

• four lineworkers from Chickasaw Electric Cooperative, Somerville

Assisting Rappahannock Electric Cooperative in Fredericksburg, Va.:

• five lineworkers from Duck River Electric Membership Corporation, Shelbyville
• four from Fort Loudoun Electric Cooperative, Madisonville
• 12 from Powell Valley Electric Cooperative, New Tazewell

Assisting Choptank Electric Cooperative in Denton, Md.:

• eight lineworkers from Fayetteville Public Utilities, Fayetteville

Assisting A&N Electric Cooperative in Tasley, Va.:

• 10 lineworkers from Appalachian Electric Cooperative, New Market

Assisting Craig-Botetourt Electric Cooperative in New Castle, Va.:

• nine lineworkers from Southwest Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation, Brownsville

Assisting Community Electric Cooperative in Windsor, Va.:

• eight lineworkers from Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative, South Pittsburg

Tennessee’s Mountain Electric Cooperative, Mountain City, is expecting more than 10 inches of snow to fall in its service area as a result of the hurricane.  MEC abandoned plans to assist in Virginia and are now prepared to respond in the event of snow-related outages.

The Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association is a trade association representing the interests of Tennessee’s 23 electric distribution cooperatives and the 1.1 million members they serve.

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Contact:
Trent Scott | tscott@tnelectric.org | 731.608.1519

Updates will be provided as additional details become available.

“Seven electric cooperatives in Tennessee are sending personnel and equipment to Louisiana to assist electric cooperatives impacted by the storm,” said David Callis, executive vice president and general manager of the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association. “Louisiana has seen high wind, heavy rain and widespread power outages.”

Electric cooperative organizations across the southeast began developing response plans on Monday and details have been adjusted as the exact path of the storm and the extent of the damage became more certain. This cooperation is enabled through mutual aid agreements between electric cooperatives.

Crews will be assisting Dixie Electric Membership Corporation in Greenwell Springs, La., approximately 10 miles east of Baton Rouge.

Assisting in the recovery will be:

• four lineworkers from Chickasaw Electric Cooperative, Somerville
• nine from Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation, Clarksville
• seven from Fayetteville Public Utilities, Fayetteville
• six from Fort Loudoun Electric Cooperative, Madisonville
• eight from Plateau Electric Cooperative, Oneida
• six from Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative, South Pittsburg
• six from Southwest Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation, Brownsville

“One day we will be in need,” says Callis, “and when that tornado or ice storm arrives, we know that this assistance will be repaid. Cooperation is one of the founding principles of electric cooperatives.”

Additional news coverage

• Channel 2 (Nashville, Thurs., Aug. 30, 6:00 a.m.)
• Channel 5 (Nashville, Wed., Aug. 29, 10:00 p.m.)
• Channel 5 (Nashville, Thurs., Aug. 30, 6:00 a.m.)

“Six Tennessee cooperatives are sending volunteer lineworkers and equipment to assist cooperatives in Virginia,” said David Callis, executive vice president and general manager for the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association. “With record-setting heat in the area, it is critical that power be restored as soon as possible. Like residents in the affected areas, our lineworkers face some very long and very hot days ahead of them.”

Emergency work plans were put into place on Saturday morning, June 30, and crews from Tennessee headed for Virginia later that day. This cooperation is enabled through mutual aid agreements between electric cooperatives.

Assisting Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative in Mount Crawford, Va.:

• five lineworkers from Mountain Electric Cooperative, Mountain City
• four from Fort Loudoun Electric Cooperative, Madisonville
• five from Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative, South Pittsburg

Assisting Central Virginia Electric Cooperative in Arrington, Va.:

• 10 lineworkers from Powell Valley Electric Cooperative, New Tazewell
• six from Plateau Electric Cooperative, Oneida

Assisting BARC Electric Cooperative in Millboro, Va.:

• 10 lineworkers from Appalachian Electric Cooperative, New Market

Some Tennessee cooperatives received damage from the same storm system that impacted Virginia. Holston Electric Cooperative, Mountain Electric Cooperative, Fort Loudoun Electric Cooperative and Volunteer Energy Cooperative service areas received wind-related storm damage over the weekend.

Holston Electric Cooperative and Powell Valley Electric Cooperative also had outages caused by a fire at TVA’s John Sevier generation plant. All service was restored on Friday evening. The John Sevier plant remains off-line, and TVA is requesting that northwest Tennessee residents conserve energy when possible until the plant resumes production and the high temperatures subside.

“We put our own members first. We only provide assistance to out-of-state co-ops after our own needs are met,” says Callis. “Sending crews and equipment to other states does represent a risk, but our cooperatives are always eager to help when possible.”

The Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association is a trade group representing the interests of Tennessee’s 23 electric distribution cooperatives and the 1.1 million members they serve.