May 2013 Kilowatt - Clay Electric Co-op, Inc.

Co-op’s 75-year history marked by
growth, ever-changing industry
In the late 1930s, nine out of 10
rural homes still were without
power. Private, investorowned
power companies served
most of the cities and were not
eager to extend their lines to
reach rural homes, farms and
businesses.
Clay Electric’s story began
when Ed Wiggins purchased
the Keystone Heights power
plant in 1925. After extending
lines to the small communities
near town, the small 115-kilowatt
generating station could
not keep up with Keystone’s
growth.
Wiggins needed money for
expansion but decided he was
not willing to sell the business
to an investor-owned utility. He
sought funding from the newlyformed
Rural Electrification Administration.
Wiggins worked
to sign up prospective members
and had maps drawn up.
Leadership and industry
changes
Clay Electric has had five
general managers: Pat Loudon
(1940-63), E.T. Martin (1963-83),
Tommy Millican (1984-88), Bill
Phillips (1989-2009) and Ricky
Davis (2009-present). A total
of 41 different members have
served on the board of trustees.
Since the early days, Clay
Electric has purchased power
from other utilities to supplement
its limited generation
capabilities. In 1968, the co-op
ceased all large-scale generation
in favor of purchasing all
its electricity needs. Today the
power comes from
Seminole Electric.
Growth
The co-op has experienced
steady growth
over most of its history.
In 1939, the co-op
served 343 members
in five counties. In
1951, that number had
grown to more than
8,000 customers.
In 1962, the co-op
had nearly 20,000 accounts,
and by 1975
Above, a 1950s construction crew featuring Arlee
Terrell, Ford Hensley, Henry Loper, Ronald Stevens,
Ernie Newsome and Rufus Jordan. Below,
another 32,000 were
added to make a total trustees Ray Wingate, C.N. Smith and Angus Hastings
are pictured at the 1977 Annual Meeting.
of 52,837.
Fast forward
to 1990 and the co-op
reached 100,000. Today
the co-op serves a little
more than 165,000 accounts.
Toward technology and
efficiency
In the early decades,
members were encouraged
to purchase newfangled
electric appliances
that would improve their lives
with comfort and convenience.
By the 1970s, the focus shifted
to encourage conservation and
later it moved to efficiency. Clay
Electric instituted a load management
program in the late
1970s and early ‘80s.
This program, which allowed
the co-op to turn off water heaters
and HVAC systems in members’
homes to better manage
the demand for energy at peak
times, was eliminated in 2000.
Now, the co-op encourages
the wise use of energy through
an emphasis on efficiency
with the Energy Smart Rebate
Program, as well as educating
customers about the best way to
save energy and money.
While Clay Electric is no longer
a small, rural electric utility,
its mission in 2013 is fundamentally
unchanged: to exceed the
expectations of our members by
providing excellent customer
service and reliable electric service
at competitive rates.
CEC HISTORY
1989
Bitter cold weather in
late December causes
power demand to
reach 478 megawatts.
1996
The Power Line insert
becomes a regular feature
included with each month’s
electric bill statement.
1997
First year a used
truck is given away
as the grand prize at
Annual Meeting.
2007
Energy Smart Rebate
Program begins offering rebates
to members for energy
efficiency improvements.
4/KILOWATT
MAY 2013