CEO’s Message: We Never Stop
September 2020By Michael S. McWaters, Executive V.P./CEO
This year, many of us have had to put plans on hold. Maybe you were looking forward to a trip you had to cancel at the last minute or a family get-together that had to be reorganized.
But at Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative, we know we can’t just put what we do on pause. Our consumer members depend on the power we provide each and every day. That’s why we are always working and always trying to get better at what we do.
The same is true for Seminole Electric Cooperative, our generation partner. Seminole provides a reliable flow of electricity for SVEC and numerous other cooperatives across the state, playing a crucial role in our mission to bring electric service to our consumer members. In our The Next Generation article, you can learn more about the new improvements Seminole is making to its generation facilities and how those upgrades are preparing our electric infrastructure for the changes coming to our industry.
You can also read our Deal Alert! article about a new benefit of membership: our standby generator program. While we work hard to eliminate outages before they happen, some service interruptions are inevitable, and a standby generator purchased through our relationship with Generac is the perfect backup power source. If you are in the market, I encourage you to look into the savings available through your cooperative.
We are also excited to announce that the Suwannee Valley Cornhole Tournament will return next month. The tournament has become a local favorite in recent years, and we look forward to hosting the third installment. You can find more information about how to register on our website or on our Cornhole Tournament is Back article.
Also, we continue to encourage all of our consumer-members to do what they can to help our lineworkers complete their jobs safely and effectively. One way to do that is to be aware of how close any trees and large plants on your property may be to electrical equipment. If you aren’t sure how close is too close, use the helpful graphic on our Maintain a “Safe Zone” While Planting Trees article as a guide.
Another simple step you can take is to avoid posting items on power poles. While it may seem harmless, these obstructions can actually pose a significant hazard to our lineworkers if they need to climb those poles. The clamped boots lineworkers use can get caught in staples, and protective clothing can be torn, putting them at risk when working with electrical equipment.
These small efforts go a long way to protect our lineworkers as they work hard to improve service for our consumer members. It is our privilege to serve you each day, and we will continue to be here lighting the way.
