SHAWN DORFLINGER MANAGER
Ready When it Matters Most April 13 is Lineworker Appreciation
At Ouachita Electric, we have the unique privilege of seeing firsthand what it truly takes to keep the lights on for our members. In April, we take time to pause and recognize the brave men and women who make that possible every single day — our lineworkers.
When storms impact our communities and outages occur, members experience the inconvenience, but our lineworkers see a call to action. Our crews are always ready when it matters most — leaving family dinners, heading into challenging conditions and working through the night to restore power as safely and quickly as possible. That readiness is not accidental. It comes from rigorous training, deep experience and a shared commitment to serving others.
What makes lineworkers especially remarkable is that they aren’t just restoring power to a system — they’re restoring power to their own communities. They live here. They raise their families here. They understand that electricity is more than a convenience; it’s essential to daily life, to local businesses, to schools, farms and emergency services. Powering the places we call home is personal to lineworkers.
Electric cooperatives are built on the principle of neighbors helping neighbors, and our lineworkers embody that spirit every day. They are the first to respond and the last to leave, often working long hours behind the scenes. At times, serving our neighbors means going beyond our own service territory through a process known as mutual aid.
During major outage events, crews stand ready to assist neighboring co-ops — sometimes close to home and sometimes across state lines — to help restore power. This spirit of mutual aid strengthens all cooperatives and ultimately benefits the members we serve.
We understand any time the lights go out can be frustrating, bringing everyday life to a halt. We are incredibly grateful to our members for your patience and encouragement during
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these times. Linework is demanding, physical and at times, it can be dangerous. Our crews approach each job with a focus on safety and teamwork. They take pride in their craft and in the trust our members place in them.
On April 13, we will celebrate Lineworker Appreciation Day, but one day is hardly enough. Every day, we thank lineworkers for their service and dedication, which are the backbone of our cooperative.
To our lineworkers: Thank you for your hard work, your readiness and your unwavering commitment to the communities we serve. We are proud to stand behind you and grateful for all that you do.
Notice is hereby given that the Annual Membership Meeting of Ouachita Electric Cooperative Corporation (OECC) will be held on June 25 at the headquarters in Camden, beginning at 6 p.m., for the following purposes:
1. To pass on reports for the previous fiscal year;
2. To elect three directors for the cooperative (Districts No. 7, 8 and 9), to serve a term of three years each and one director for the cooperative (District No. 4) to serve a remaining term of one year; and,
3. To transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting.
OECC members interested in becoming candidates for the 2026 Director Election for Districts 4, 7, 8 and 9 may come to the Camden headquarters and pick up a petition and information packet. We ask that potential candidates pick up the packets in person so that we may verify eligibility at that time. The deadline to return petition packets is April 17.
OECC Board Districts with Directorial Terms ending June 25, 2026:
Calhoun & Ouachita
Calhoun & Ouachita
All of the cooperative’s territory situated East of U.S. Hwy 79, East of the Ouachita River, West of Calhoun County Road #19, South of U.S. Hwy 278, West of Calhoun County Road No. 5, West of Arkansas Hwy 203 to its point of intersection with Two Bayou Creek, all the territory West of Two Bayou Creek.
All of the cooperative’s territory lying East of the Ouachita River and North and West of U.S. Hwy 79, together with all that part of the cooperative’s territory lying East of Bearden and South of U.S. Hwy 79 and North of District 3.
Bradley All of the cooperative’s territory lying in Bradley County and all that part of Calhoun County described as follows: Commence at the point of intersection of the county line between Calhoun and Bradley Counties and Arkansas State Hwy 160, then run Northwesterly along Hwy 160 to the point of intersection with Arkansas Hwy 172, then run West along Arkansas Hwy 172 to the point of intersection with U.S. Hwy 167, then run North along U.S. Hwy 167 to a point of intersection with U.S. Hwy 278, then run West along U.S. Hwy 278 to a point of intersection with Calhoun County Road No. 19, then run Southerly along Calhoun County Road No. 19 to the Ouachita River, then run Southeasterly along the Ouachita River to its point of intersection with Moro Creek, then run Northeasterly along the county boundary back to the point of beginning.
Ouachita & Nevada
All of the cooperative’s territory North of the dividing line between T11S and T12S and West of Tulip Creek in Ouachita County and all of the cooperative’s territory in Nevada County.
Energy Enigmas Uncovering unexpected causes of high electric bills
BY MITCH ROSS
While performing energy audits, we end up seeing the same issues come up repeatedly. Many are so familiar, that just by looking at the hourly energy use or speaking with the homeowner on the phone, it’s an easy diagnosis. The list of common culprits includes lack of insulation, major duct leakage, electric heat with no heat pump and a few other things. I enjoy audits that go beyond the common issues and require a deeper look.
Here are just a few of the head-scratching circumstances that have come up over the years:
• Heat strips stuck: This rare problem is hard to diagnose. It can be caused by a failed sequencer, faulty thermostat, improper wiring or other issues. When this happens, it is possible that the heat strips can consume energy 24/7 until the issue is found, leading to expensive bills and potentially other hazards. This can occur even as the unit is running in air conditioning mode.
Although rare, checking smart thermostat settings to make sure it's set on air conditioning rather than dehumidify ensures the unit isn't causing a spike in energy usage.
• Heat pump not operating properly: Heat pumps can be great at providing affordable heat for most of the winter. Depending on the units, they heat our homes even when the outdoor temperature is below freezing. At times, we find that homeowners are surprised to find that their heat pump isn’t operating, and the heat is being provided by the expensive backup heat strips. This can be caused by many issues including low refrigerant, dirty filters or coils, faulty wiring and more.
• Thermostat settings: Some new thermostats have special settings, such as using the central HVAC unit as a dehumidifier instead of just traditional air conditioning. It’s rare, but worth going through all the thermostat settings to ensure it isn’t causing your home to use excessive amounts of energy.
• Power going directly to ground: Under normal conditions, power going directly to ground should cause a breaker to trip, cutting off the flow of electricity. In very rare cases, the electricity that is “leaking” may not be enough to trip a breaker, or there may be some other fault. Power going directly to ground can take a toll on your energy bill. It may be able to be diagnosed with an ohmmeter or a thermal camera but otherwise, it can be tricky to find.
Apart from these rare occurrences, other issues such as HVAC failings, hot water leaks, hot water circulation pumps, etc., can cause excessive energy bills that can be very hard to understand. If your energy bill is higher than expected and everything else looks in order, it might be worth ruling out some of these rare issues.
Contact your local electric cooperative to help identify potential issues and keep your home running efficiently and safely.
Mitch Ross is the energy efficiency manager for the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas.