Little Rock, Ark. — Sept. 13, 2018 — The Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas have sent 118 linemen to the east coast to assist with power restoration efforts that may be required after Hurricane Florence makes landfall.
Crews from Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc., Arkansas Valley Electric, C&L Electric, Carroll Electric, Clay County Electric, Craighead Electric, First Electric, North Arkansas Electric, South Central Arkansas Electric, Southwest Arkansas Electric and Woodruff Electric are staged to assist electric cooperatives impacted areas.
The Arkansas cooperatives have also sent approximately 100 pieces of equipment that include service bucket trucks, bucket trucks, digger derricks, pickups and pole trailers. The number of crews may increase as damage assessments are finalized by cooperatives in impacted areas.
Arkansas’ 17 local electric cooperative distribution systems, statewide association and generation and transmission cooperative serve approximately 500,000 members in 74 of the state’s 75 counties. The cooperatives are member-owned utilities established to provide reliable, affordable electric service to farms, homes, schools, churches, businesses and other establishments across the state in a responsible manner.
The distribution cooperatives own and govern Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (AECI), a service association for the electric cooperatives, as well as Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation, a generation and transmission cooperative, which provides wholesale power to the distribution cooperatives.
