7SPC Board Meeting

At Arab Electric Cooperative, General Manager Stacey White’s approach to serving members centers on investing in the future while addressing today’s needs. We asked her to elaborate on her LPC’s prioritized infrastructure improvements and technological advancements that are making a difference for her community. Modernizing our electrical infrastructure and giving our members better access to information has made the biggest difference. At Arab Electric, we've invested millions of dollars in upgrading substations, increasing capacity, and improving reliability. At the same time, technology has changed the way we communicate with our members. They can now monitor their daily electric usage, pay their bills through our app, report outages by text, and follow restoration progress through our outage map. For me, modernization isn't just about having the latest technology. It's about making life easier for our members, keeping the lights on, and making sure our system is ready for future growth. When I became General Manager, we had some aging infrastructure that needed significant attention. We made the decision to invest in the future of our system, even though those investments came with a substantial price tag. Our Brashears Chapel project more than doubled capacity, and we've continued that progress with Sundown, Brindlee Mountain, and our other system improvements. What makes me most proud isn't just the technology or the equipment. It's our employees. Our team has worked incredibly hard to make these improvements while continuing to provide reliable service every day. We aren't just building a stronger electric system for today. We're building one that will serve our community for the next generation. White also shared about the value of Seven States as a trusted partner to help LPCs explore new opportunities and ideas, no matter the size or scope of the project or technology. One of the things I appreciate about Seven States is their willingness to help local power companies look ahead and explore opportunities that we may not have the resources or expertise to pursue on our own. As a smaller utility, we have to be very intentional about where we invest our time and money. Having partners who understand our industry, help us evaluate new technologies, and bring innovative ideas to the table is extremely valuable. Innovation doesn't always mean being the first to try something. Sometimes it's about having the right partners to help you make the right decisions for your members. Even as utilities embrace new technologies and digital tools, White knows that people are still and will always be the heartbeat of the Valley.  Good old-fashioned customer service and the personal relationships we build with our members will always be the most important part of what we do. Technology can help us identify outages faster, improve communication, and make our operations more efficient. But at the end of the day, when someone's power is out or they have a concern, they still want to know there's a real person who cares and is willing to help. And no matter how advanced our technology becomes, we're still going to need dedicated linemen willing to go out in the middle of the night, in the rain, cold, and storms, to restore power. Technology may change how we do our jobs, but it will never replace the people or the heart behind what we do. In an industry built on serving communities and staying connected to the people behind the meters, White appreciates those who use their influence to make a difference. So, when we asked who she’d most like to share a dinner with, one iconic name came to mind. I think I would have chosen Dolly Parton. She was a successful businesswoman who stayed true to her roots and never forgot where she came from. I always admired how she used her success to help others. And honestly, I think she would have been a whole lot of fun to have dinner with!

Serving as Duck River Electric Membership Corporation’s President and CEO, James Wright has focused on innovative efforts that improve reliability, efficiency, and customer service. We asked him to elaborate on the technology and modernization efforts that have helped change his members’ lives, in addition to describing some of his team’s wins for their community. One of the biggest modernization needs has been giving people better access to information. Members expect timely updates and greater visibility into their electric service, whether that's understanding energy use, reporting an outage or staying informed during restoration efforts. Meeting those expectations has required investments in technologies that provide real-time visibility and communication, helping utilities operate more efficiently while delivering a better member experience. Here at DREMC, we're especially proud of the continued modernization of our electric system through advanced metering and outage management technologies. These tools help us identify outages more quickly, improve communication with members and give our team better visibility into the system. Innovation is most meaningful when it improves everyday service, and this investment has helped us deliver a more reliable and responsive experience for the people we serve. Wright also credits Seven States with serving as a valuable partner and creating opportunities for collaboration among LPCs as the Valley’s needs continue to evolve. Innovation can be challenging to tackle in isolation, and Seven States has been a valuable partner in helping utilities share ideas and learn from one another. Through events, peer networks and collaborative discussions, they've helped us explore new ideas, learn from the experiences of other local power companies and evaluate solutions that can improve service for our members. Innovation doesn't always start with a new technology. Often, it starts with a conversation, and Seven States does an excellent job of bringing people together to share knowledge, explore emerging trends and learn from one another's successes.  Despite the rapidly changing technology in the Valley, the utility business remains rooted in personal relationships and customer service. Wright knows that people will always be the most valuable part of the model. No matter how much technology changes, there will never be a substitute for people serving people. We can automate processes, improve system visibility and communicate faster than ever before, but at the end of the day our members still want to know there's a knowledgeable person ready to help when they have a question or concern. That personal connection has always been important to the cooperative model, and I believe it always will be. Stepping outside the utility world for a more lighthearted question, Wright was quick to name the person he’d most like to have dinner with. Elon Musk is one of the first names that comes to mind, as there are few people that have had more of an impact on our industry. Whether it be electric vehicles, solar panels, batteries, demand response, data centers, or even space-based solar power, there is no doubt that we would have plenty to talk about at dinner!