Indiana’s electric cooperatives assist in Mississippi winter storm recovery

Favorite

Posted by

Indiana’s electric cooperatives sent crews and equipment to Mississippi to assist with power restoration efforts following Winter Storm Fern. The storm caused severe and unprecedented damage to electric infrastructure across parts of the state, prompting Indiana crews to mobilize in support of Mississippi electric cooperatives. 

A crew of 17 lineworkers representing five Indiana electric cooperatives departed February 5 for Iuka, Mississippi, where they provided mutual aid to Tishomingo County Electric Power Association. The team returned to Indiana on February 11.

The responding crews represent Clark County REMC (Sellersburg), Daviess-Martin County REMC (Loogootee), Dubois REC (Jasper), Southern Indiana Power (Tell City), and WIN Energy (Vincennes).  
 
“Every electric cooperative in Indiana is part of a broader state and national network built on cooperation,” said John Cassady, CEO of Indiana Electric Cooperatives (IEC). “When disasters like this occur, it’s our responsibility to support one another and help restore service as safely, efficiently, and quickly as possible.” 

Tishomingo County Electric Power Association serves Tishomingo and portions of Alcorn, Prentiss, and Itawamba Counties in northeastern Mississippi. 

“Our first priority is always taking care of our members at home, but our crews are proud to step up when others need help,” said Chris Gearld, director of safety, training, and workforce development at IEC. “They take great pride in representing their home cooperatives and the state of Indiana, and they do so with professionalism, skill, and a strong commitment to safety.” 

The Indiana electric cooperative mutual aid program provides cooperative assistance in service restoration from storms or other events that result in significant power outages. Because the national network of transmission and distribution infrastructure owned by electric cooperatives has been built to federal standards, line crews from any American electric cooperative can arrive on the scene ready to provide support, secure in their knowledge of the system’s engineering.