Electric cooperatives send crews to assist following Hurricane Helene

Forty-five crew members from 15 Wisconsin electric cooperatives left for South Carolina in the past week to assist with storm recovery after Hurricane Helene left catastrophic damage. Crews gathered at Rock Energy Cooperative in Janesville before making the trek to Aiken Electric Cooperative in Aiken, South Carolina.

While power outages across the southeast in Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina topped 800,000, that’s not the whole story. This storm not only caused damage, but in some areas, complete decimation.

“In parts of South Carolina, where our Wisconsin crews are heading, it’s not just a restoration, but a complete rebuild,” said Rob Richard, Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association (WECA) interim president and CEO. “Full substations, and the roads that lead to them, are completely washed away. Even the underground lines are gone. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all who are impacted.”

Crews heading south are prepared for a deployment that is expected to last two weeks. WECA assisted with logistics, including travel waivers to ensure the trucks are not delayed by highway weight restrictions. While crews were ready to head south immediately after the Helene hit, the widespread destruction in the south meant local authorities had to get infrastructure in place to be able to house and direct those traveling to the area to assist. A “tent city” in the Aiken Electric Cooperative area was completed today.

“Restoring power in this area is going to be a monumental effort,” said Tim Clay, WECA vice president of operations. “We offer our gratitude and appreciation for the crews heading south to assist with this crisis, who will be working in challenging conditions, including mountainous terrain and extensive flooding. The work will be physically challenging, with offroad restoration and a lot of climbing. Safety will be paramount as they work to assist in this unprecedented event.”

“Concern for community” and “cooperation among cooperatives” are among the principles that cooperatives are built on, and the Wisconsin crews will join electric cooperatives from at least nine other states in the effort.

Participating Wisconsin electric cooperatives include: Adams-Columbia Electric Cooperative Barron Electric Cooperative Bayfield Electric Cooperative Chippewa Valley Electric Cooperative Dairyland Power Cooperative Dunn Energy Cooperative Eau Claire Energy Cooperative Jump River Electric Cooperative Oakdale Electric Cooperative Oconto Electric Cooperative Price Electric Cooperative Riverland Energy Cooperative Rock Energy Cooperative Scenic Rivers Energy Cooperative Taylor Electric Cooperative A crew from Alger Delta Cooperative Electric Association, located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, joined the Wisconsin co-ops making the trip.

The Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association (WECA) is a statewide trade association providing services including government relations, education and training, and communications for its membership of 24 electric distribution cooperatives and one generation and transmission cooperative.