Dedicated to serving our members
SERVING YOU for 75 Years
Dedication As TVEPA celebrates its 75th year of service in 2014, we dedicate this book to the cooperative’s founders, whose hard work brought sorely needed electricity to farms and homes in northwest Mississippi. Their vision of aordable, reliable electric service still leads every aspect of our operations today.
Tallahatchie Valley Electric Power Association is celebrating 75 years of serving our members. TVEPA was formed to provide reliable and efficient electric power at a competitive price. Technology and growth have brought about many changes during this time, but one thing has not changed: Our focus on service to our members still burns brightly. Some of you may remember what it was like to live without electricity. If you do, then you remember that electricity was considered a luxury 75 years ago. Luxury quickly turned into necessity. It is difficult to imagine living without the things we sometimes take for granted. The true value of electricity should not be underestimated; we can have all these “luxuries” every day for less than we spend on a trip to a fast-food restaurant. Our average customer spends less than $5 per day to heat and cool his house; cook, wash and dry clothes; use computers and televisions; and enjoy many other amenities. The value, affordability and reliability
of electricity in our area was made possible by a group of visionaries who worked together to bring electric service to rural north Mississippi. As a result, TVEPA has had a powerful, positive impact on the quality of life for this area. Our goal is to continue this significant contribution for generations to come. I grew up under TVEPA power lines and am blessed that my family and I continue to live in our great service territory. As you can see, I have a vested interest in wanting our area to remain one of the best in the state in which to live. Thank you for allowing me the honor of serving you as the CEO of this company. TVEPA has come a long way, and we are thankful for our 75 years of service. Thank you for being a part of this great association as we enter another 75 years of bringing power and positive contributions to the communities we serve. Brad Robison Chief Executive Officer
The Day the Lights Came On
In a dramatic ceremony on April 29, 1939, Tallahatchie Valley Electric Power Association threw the Electricity generated by the switches to energize its first power lines. That night, the Tennessee Valley Authority had rooms of some 600 farm homes in northwest Mississippi finally arrived, thanks to shone with electric light for the first time ever. TVEPA, an electric cooperative The event heralded a leap forward in the quality of life created by local leaders during for people living and working in the area. No longer the nation’s rural electrification would they lack refrigeration, pump water by hand, scrub movement of the 1930s. clothes on a washboard and press laundry with “sad irons” heated on the wood stove. Electricity generated by the Tennessee Valley Authority had finally arrived, thanks to TVEPA, an electric cooperative created by local leaders during the nation’s rural electrification movement of the 1930s. Less than one percent of the rural farms and homes in Mississippi had electric power back then; electric power was available only in more-populated urban areas. Investor-owned utility companies refused to finance electric distribution systems for rural areas where profit could not be realized. As a consequence, rural Mississippi languished in the dark. Rural people continued to endure hardscrabble living conditions, poor sanitation and lackluster farm production. Fortunately, President Franklin D. Roosevelt realized the nation’s need for rural electric service. He created the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) in 1935 with the goal of lending money to companies for the construction of rural electric power distribution systems. When the existing investor-owned utilities proved uninterested, applications poured into REA from electric cooperatives formed by local citizens to do the work themselves. One of rural electrification’s earliest achievements occurred in 1934 when a group of men gathered in the back of a furniture store in Corinth to form the first TVA cooperative, Alcorn Electric Power Association. The experimental cooperative was so successful it expanded its service territory a year later—while cutting rates 50 percent. Thus northeast Mississippians proved to
the nation that farm families needed electricity, could afford to buy it and were capable of running their own utility. Rural people throughout the nation began organizing their own electric cooperatives to elevate their standard of living even as the Great Depression gripped the nation. In 1936 local leaders in portions of Tate, Panola, Yalobusha and Tallahatchie counties began exploring ways of obtaining electric service for their counties. After consulting with REA officials, these leaders decided to create one electric power association to serve all four counties, thus meeting REA’s feasibility requirements. With affordable loans and technical guidance provided by REA (now the Rural Utilities Service), these rural people—none of whom had any utility experience—built and operated TVEPA’s distribution system to electrify their homes, farms, businesses, churches and schools. Since lighting those first 600 homes and farms 75 years ago, TVEPA has grown to serve more than 27,000 meters in parts of nine counties in northwest Mississippi. While technological advancements have changed every aspect of our operations, our cooperative philosophy remains intact. As its founders envisioned, TVEPA is still a not-for-profit, member-owned electric cooperative whose primary mission is service to members. The cooperative form of electric utility is as viable today as it was when those forward-thinking rural people joined forces to create TVEPA. In 2013, more than 900 electric cooperatives served 42 million consumers in 47 states, including Mississippi. As TVEPA commemorates its 75th year of operation in 2014, we dedicate this book to our founders’ vision and hard work on behalf of all Mississippians in our nine-county service territory.
SERVING YOU for 75 Years
1930s TVEPA’s story begins in the decade that gave rise to the national rural electrification movement, enabled by the Rural Electrification Administration (REA). President Franklin D. Roosevelt creates the federal agency by executive order in May 1935. He directs the REA administrator to “initiate, formulate, administer and supervise a program of approved projects with respect to the generation, transmission and distribution of electric energy in rural areas.”
n Congress establishes the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in 1933, in part to deliver low-cost electricity to rural residents in a territory that included north Mississippi. n In 1936 Mississippi legislators pass the Electric Power Association Act, thus making Mississippi one of the first states in the nation to pass adequate laws for forming electric cooperative corporations, or electric power associations.
n On Sept. 17, 1937, more than 300 people from Panola, Tallahatchie, Tate and Yalobusha counties meet at the courthouse in Batesville in a united effort to obtain electric service. They form an electric cooperative to be headquartered in Batesville, due to its centralized location in the cooperative’s service area. The group files a certificate of incorporation for Tallahatchie Valley Electric Power Association with the Secretary of State, and approval comes on Dec. 31, 1937.
n J.C. Sides is elected president of the TVEPA’s first board of directors. He will serve on the board until 1985. n In 1938 W.H. Saxton, of Benton, becomes the first manager of TVEPA. He will serve the cooperative for 39 years.
W.H. Saxton
n On March 17, 1938, Sides signs a contract for an REA loan of $220,000 to build the cooperative’s first power lines, which will serve 846 members. Construction begins in the fall of 1938 and is completed the following April.
n On April 29, 1939, TVEPA energizes its first lines from a TVA substation at Sardis Dam. Six hundred people receive electricity for the first time. n TVEPA’s vehicle fleet consists of a 1938 Chevy pickup and a 1939 Ford truck. n The average cost of wiring a farm in Mississippi in the 1930s ranges from $50 to $60, a substantial cost for a farmer in those days. n TVEPA begins serving Crowder in 1939 after purchasing the new MP&L line extending from Lambert to Crowder. n By December 1939, 25 member-owned electric power associations are operating in Mississippi.
“Rural electric cooperatives not only changed the course of the nation’s economy but also became a lasting benefit for all America.” – Winnie Phillips, in her book “Rural Electrification in Mississippi”
1940s TVEPA’s growth in membership stimulates the area’s economy as members wire their homes and shop for new electric appliances and farm equipment. From electrical contractors to water well drillers, local business people are busily serving these new rural customers. Sales of electrical products and related services stimulate the economy (and increase kilowatt-hour sales) as rural electrification progresses nationwide.
n In 1940, the cooperative’s first full year of operation, 1,164 residential members use an average of 739 kilowatt-hours a year. n Farmers boost production by investing in labor-saving electrical equipment such as pumps, electric churns, feed grinders, poultry incubators and dairy equipment. n Some of the first electrical appliances purchased for newly wired homes include room lights, radios, refrigerators, irons and fans. Homemakers make the switch from wood stoves to gleaming electric ranges as they become accustomed to using electricity in the kitchen.
n TVEPA begins serving the town of Batesville in 1941 after town officials, under a plan to switch electric power providers from Mississippi Power & Light (MP&L) to TVEPA, build their own electrical distribution system and sell it to TVEPA. n C.H. Flint and Son Hardware, established in 1889, becomes a TVEPA member when the cooper-
ative begins serving Batesville in 1941. Five generations of the Flint family will operate the store into the 21st century, making Flint’s Hardware the town’s oldest store and TVEPA’s oldest commercial member. n Rural electrification progress stalls nationwide during the early years of World War II due to labor shortages and the restriction of construction materials, particularly copper, by the War Production Board. By 1943 the government eases restrictions to help farmers who can show that electricity would mean an increase in production or a decrease in labor. n After the war, a “building boom” starts in TVEPA’s service territory, leading to decades of work for the cooperative to match the pace of the growth. For faster response to storm-related power outages, TVEPA decides to hire personnel for a construction crew, rather than continue to rely on contractors. n TVEPA begins serving Coffeeville in 1949 after construction of the Grenada Dam on the Yalobusha River. The project had created a lake that flooded areas in which TVEPA and MP&L operated lines; an arrangement was worked out whereby TVEPA would serve the area north of Grenada Lake, including the town of Coffeeville.
Consumer-owned electric cooperatives across the nation grow rapidly because of the previously unmet demand for affordable, reliable electric service — the primary mission of these grassroots organization.
1950s TVA becomes the nation’s largest electricity supplier as TVEPA and other electric cooperatives continue their vigorous post-war growth.
n TVA stages traveling shows to demonstrate
the wonders of electricity. Under a huge oblong tent, audiences learn about light fixtures, how refrigerators and freezers keep food fresh, and ways to use automatic water pumps. Photographs from one of these events shows a standing-roomonly crowd. n “Willie Wiredhand” becomes the national mascot
for electric cooperatives. n By the end of 1950, 26 electric power associations
in Mississippi have built a total of nearly 43,000 miles of power lines to serve a total of 185,196 consumers. REA estimates that 57.7 percent of all farms in the state have electric service. n Sewing machine dealers across Mississippi offer
to electrify homemakers’ foot-powered treadle sewing machines by installing a motor, light and speed control. n Since the Rural
Electrification Administration was established in 1935, rural Americans
have spent more than $19 billion for electric appliances and equipment, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1956. In 1940 only 15 percent of the nation’s farm households had mechanical refrigerators; by 1956 the percentage has soared to 90. n W.H. Saxton, TVEPA general manager, becomes
president of the Tennessee Valley Public Power Association in May 1959. He is also president of the Mississippi Rural Electric Association (today’s Electric Power Associations of Mississippi) in Jackson. n State winners in 4-H electric
projects visit TVA hydro and steam generating plants at Wilson Dam, in Muscle Shoals, Ala.
In making loans, one of the basic principles of the Rural Electrification Administration for its borrowers is complete area coverage, service to those requesting service at reasonable rates. – “The Why of Rural Electric Power Associations,” Mississippi Rural Electric News, December 1959
1960s TVEPA grows in both membership and member services, and the cooperative celebrates a milestone year in its history.
n TVEPA provides electric service to 22 industrial members, including Normandie Mills in Coffeeville and Poloron Products in Batesville. Collectively, these industries used 11.8 million kilowatt-hours in 1963.
n The number of TVEPA commercial members reaches 1,197 in 1963, as the cooperative observes its 25th anniversary of service. n By the mid-1960s, the average home in TVEPA’s service territory uses 4,617 kilowatt-hours a year. The average member pays $58.29 a year for electricity. n TVEPA promotes all-electric living through the Gold Medallion Home Program. Homeowners who meet all Gold Medallion electrical standards—including wiring, lighting, heating and cooling—are awarded cast-medal medallions for mounting on their home. n Six local farms are designated as Electrofarms. New uses of electricity at work on these farms enable other farmers to see workable ideas first hand, such as electric augers, conveyors and silo unloaders. Sponsors of the Electrofarm program are TVEPA, Mississippi State Extension Service and TVA. n The nation’s downward trend in electric service costs is due in large part to technological advances in the generation and transmission of electric power.
“It was like a dream come true.... We knew it would be a great blessing in our lives but actually didn’t realize [electricity] would mean as much to us as it has over the past 25 years.” – R.B. Lawshee, a TVEPA charter member, on getting electricity for the first time in TVEPA’s “Silver Anniversary Report,” 1964
n Expecting continued growth in electric power needs, TVA begins building nuclear power plants as a new source of economical electric power. n W.H. Saxton retires in June 1977 as TVEPA’s general manager, the post he has held since the cooperative was organized in 1938. n George G. Randolph is promoted to general manager in July 1977.
George G. Randolph
1970s An international oil embargo in 1973, followed by soaring fuel costs and general inflation, gives rise to an energy crisis that dampens the nation’s economy. The average cost of electricity in the Tennessee Valley increases fivefold from the early 1970s to the early 1980s. Electric power associations urge members to use energy wisely.
n The nation’s economic conditions lead to dramatic increases in interest rates and inflation. n High costs associated with meeting members’ growing energy needs by expanding electric power generation prompts electric cooperatives to get involved in energy efficiency, energy and technology research, and consumer education.
Mr. and Mrs. R.B. Lawshee
1980s The nation experienced some of the most difficult economic conditions in its history as the 1980s unfold. Inflation climbs to 13.5 percent in 1980, the prime interest rate tops 21.5 percent in 1982, and motorists are still waiting in long lines due to gasoline shortages.
n TVEPA’s 95 employees are highly experienced and dedicated to their jobs. More than 38 percent of them have worked 10 years for the cooperative, and 25 percent have served more than 20 years. n On April 21, 1984, a series of tornadoes hits Water Valley and northern Mississippi, leaving 15 people dead and injuring scores more.
n REA celebrates its 50th anniversary in 1985. n For every dollar TVEPA receives in revenue, it pays about 80 cents to TVA for wholesale power. n By 1988 the average electrical use per residential TVEPA member increases to almost 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month. Meeting members’ growing demand for electricity requires constant planning and upgrades to TVEPA’s equipment and lines.
n TVEPA expands member programs to include security lights, customized guidelines for heating/cooling needs, residential energy surveys, commercial and industrial surveys, financing for home energy-efficient improvements and economic development. n By the late 1980s, TVA stops the rise in power rates and paves the way for a period of rate stability that would last for the next decade. n 1989 marks the 50th anniversary of TVEPA’s operations. In its annual report to members, the TVEPA board of directors underscores three “unique and distinct advantages” of an electric cooperative: service at cost, democratic control and member ownership.
“The work of REA and its successor, the Rural Utilities Service, agencies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, stands as one of the most successful and long-lasting domestic policy initiatives ever undertaken.” – Frank Gallant, in “Local Lights: America’s Electric Cooperatives”
1990s TVEPA’s emergency work plan is tested by an extraordinary ice storm. Electric power associations throughout Mississippi join forces in the massive power restoration effort.
n General Manager George Randolph retires in July 1992. n Thomas “Tom” Whitley Underwood Jr. is promoted to general manager in July 1992. n The 1994 ice storm paralyzes most of north Mississippi. Eighty-five Tom Underwood percent of TVEPA’s electrical system lies on the ground: Power is lost to 20,300 of its 21,400 meters, nearly 3,600 of 3,707 total miles of distribution line are affected, and 6,000 poles are destroyed. Fallen trees clog power line rights-of-way. TVEPA provides employees with meals, laundry service and even church services in the auditorium as the massive power-restoration effort progresses. Churches and civic
“I’ve always thought, all my working life, that I was doing good for people.” – Morris McKee, reflecting on his career as a TVEPA serviceman
organizations send food and volunteers for several weeks. TVEPA’s cost to repair the damage to its electrical system tops $7 million. The Panolian newspaper calls the storm the worst crisis in TVEPA’s 55-year history. n Morris McKee, a retired serviceman and one of TVEPA’s first employees, is featured in the cooperative’s 1999 annual report. TVEPA hired McKee four months after energizing the first lines in 1939. He retired in 1982. n TVA’s energy right new homes program offers TVEPA members financial incentives to install electric heat pumps and other energy-efficient features in their homes.
2000s TVEPA expands and upgrades its facilities to meet a rapidly growing demand for electricity and ensure the reliability of its service.
n TVEPA completes construction of five new substations and restores an existing substation. The cooperative has built more substations in the last 10 years than in the previous 55 years.
n William Bradley “Brad” Robison is promoted to general manager in August 2004. He is one of only four managers in TVEPA’s 66-year history.
n TVEPA has 4,228 miles of line in service in 2004. If stretched across the United States, it would extend from Batesville to New York City—and west to San Francisco. n In 2005, TVEPA installs a new state-of-the-art phone system, enabling customer service representatives to respond more efficiently to the 800 to 1,000 calls received each day. Also, the Brad Robison right-of-way maintenance program surfaces as top priority. Major equipment purchases solidify dedication to managing right-of-way. n To better handle member information and billing, the cooperative converts to a new computer service provider. The conversion lays the groundwork for the use of the latest technology to improve efficiency. n Hurricane Katrina makes landfall in Mississippi on Aug. 29, 2005, leaving a historic trail of destruction. More than 12,000 emergency work crew
members help restore service to more than 500,000 electric power association meters. This work force includes employees of Mississippi’s 26 electric power associations and emergency crews from 21 other states, on the job 16 to 18 hours every day. Nine electric power associations report peak outages of 100 percent of meters served. TVEPA quickly restores power to 3,000 meters (11 percent) in its service area and sends emergency crews to assist other electric power associations. Within three weeks of the storm, service is restored to all electric power association members capable of safely receiving it. n In 2006 TVEPA experiences a record demand for electricity from members. The cooperative boosts system reliability and capacity with upgrades at substations to ensure a dependable electric system. Continued right-of-way maintenance proves to be an effective means of reducing outages. n In 2009 TVEPA joins 25 other electric power associations in Mississippi in “sounding the alarm” to Congress about the need to balance any climate-change legislation with the cost and availability of electric service. n TVEPA promotes energy efficiency for its membership, in part with Energy Fairs at the cooperative’s auditorium. TVEPA stresses that reduction of members’ power consumption reduces their electric bill and reduces infrastructure additions that must be funded, thereby keeping energy rates low.
“The concept being allowed to take root [in Congress] is to raise energy prices to the point where people cannot afford it — to effectively force a reduction in use. This is unfair and irresponsible.” – Brad Robison, general manager, in his 2009 annual report to TVEPA members
TVEPA improves operating efficiency and service to members by taking advantage of technological advances. Members can now conduct much of their routine business with the cooperative online or by phone.
n TVA rolls out a new rate structure in 2011 to better reflect seasonal variations in costs. The new rates will promote energy efficiency, reduce peak power demand and give members opportunities to save money on their electric bill.
T
PowerAction Line TallahatchieValleyEPA’s
PAL
(
2010s
A higher level of customer service.
Outage reports
n TVEPA’s new Power Action Line (PAL), an automated phone system, allows the cooperative to handle a large volume of calls in a more timely manner. At any time of day or night, members can use PAL to report a power outage, access billing information and pay a bill by credit card or e-check.
Faster response time Access billing information Pay your bill by credit card or e-check.
Serving You!
662-563-4742
n TVEPA rolls out a new website to allow members access to a variety of the cooperative’s services, including an online payment option. n TVEPA develops maintenance programs that have proven to save money. Dedication to preventive maintenance on the electric system assets pay large dividends. n TVEPA partners with TVA to provide the In-Home Energy Evaluation program to help members save money on their electric bills.
“Since their beginning, we have enjoyed a great working and business relationship with TVEPA. They provide reliable electric service, which is vital to the success of a small business, and their staff is composed of hometown folks. They know us!” – Ben Flint Owner, Flint Hardware
“TVEPA is more than a utility provider to our plant. We view them as an important ally. They have continually worked with us to reduce our energy use and costs, and their services help us to be more energy efficient.” – Bruce Baggett Plant Engineer, Insituform Technologies LLC
“We depend on TVEPA to provide electrical power to our factory. Our equipment has to produce for our company to be successful. The power must be within certain specifications, with minimal interruptions. TVEPA is fast to respond to our needs, and we view them as a partner.” – Del Smith Maintenance Manager, Insituform Technologies LLC n TVEPA marks its 75th year of operation in 2014. The cooperative delivers reliable electric service through more than 4,400 miles of line to more than 27,300 meters in portions of Tate, Panola, Tallahatchie, Yalobusha, Lafayette, Quitman, Grenada, Calhoun and Tunica counties. A work force of 119 full-time employees keeps members’ service reliable and affordable every day and in all kinds of weather. n TVEPA observes the 20th anniversary of the 1994 ice storm, one of the most significant challenges in the cooperative’s history. n TVEPA proves to be a key player in economic development efforts. We assist in efforts to maintain and expand existing industry, and attract new industry, to provide more jobs and improve the quality of life for TVEPA members. n In 2014, TVEPA CEO Brad Robison serves as president of the Electric Power Associations of Mississippi. TVEPA is proud to be one of the 26 Mississippi electric power associations making up this group, which provides electric service to more than 1.8 million Mississippians and serves 85 percent of the land mass in Mississippi.
Tallahatchie Valley Electric Power Association MARSHALL COUNTY
Arkabutla
TATE COUNTY
TUNICA COUNTY
Strayhorn
Chulahoma Thyatira
Senatobia
Sarah
Harmontown Como Crenshaw Sledge Sardis
Oxford
PANOLA COUNTY Curtis
Batesville
Marks
LAFAYETTE COUNTY Courtland
QUITMAN COUNTY
Pope Crowder
Paris Water Valley
YALOBUSHA COUNTY Brazil
Webb
Pine Valley
Oakland
TALLAHATCHIE COUNTY
Charleston
CALHOUN COUNTY
Tillatoba Coffeeville Benwood
Tippo Paynes
Hardy Cascilla
Macel Grenada
GRENADA COUNTY
District 1
District 2
District 3
STATISTICAL INFORMATION Total Miles of Lines Total Meters Served Residential: Commercial: Others: Meters Per Mile of Line Number of Full-Time Employees
4,472 27,310 21,436 5,714 160 6.1 119
P.O. Box 513 - 250 Power Drive Batesville, MS 38606 662-563-4742 • Fax: 662-563-8615 www.tvepa.com
District 4
Board of Directors
Seated, from left: Jeff Herron, Treasurer Gene Standridge, President Will Hays, CEO/General Manager Brad Robison and Lamar Crockett. Standing, from left: Melvin Toole, Robert Chapman, Charles Davis, Vice President Harry House and Kim Hollowell.
The Power of Membership As a member of Tallahatchie Valley Electric Power Association, you are part-owner of an electric cooperative created by local citizens in 1937 to fulfill their unmet need for electric service. TVEPA’s founders envisioned a consumer-owned utility dedicated to serving members, not investors, and to improving their quality of life. We are proud to present the story of your electric cooperative in this commemorative book. Please join us in celebrating TVEPA’s 75th year of service and commitment to members in nine counties in northwest Mississippi.
P.O. Box 513 - 250 Power Drive Batesville, MS 38606 662-563-4742 • Fax: 662-563-8615 www.tvepa.com