Wisconsin electric co-ops helping Florida rebuild

25 Sep 2017


JANESVILLE, Wis. — Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services linemen, Bryon Gilles and Brett Pauly, joined volunteer line crews from 17 other Wisconsin electric cooperatives aiding in Florida's massive recovery effort, helping rebuild shattered electric systems in the wake of Hurricane Irma's devastation.

The Florida Electric Cooperatives Association, a statewide trade group, put out a call for help Sept. 7, anticipating Irma's landfall and the huge storm's potential to simultaneously batter the entire state.

Line superintendents from Wisconsin cooperatives got word of the request at a previously scheduled meeting in Stevens Point and immediately began planning their response, assessing availability of workers and equipment.

Those preparations were completed during a busy weekend. On Sept. 11, co-op vehicles began departing from local headquarters across the state for assembly points at Eau Claire, Oakdale, Portage and Janesville. At least three multi-co-op convoys planned to reach Ste. Genevieve, Mo., and Hattiesburg, Miss., by the night of Sept. 12, arriving in Florida by late afternoon Sept. 13.

All the Wisconsin volunteers are assigned to assist rebuilding at Clay Electric Cooperative, headquartered in Keystone Heights, Fla., northeast of Gainesville, Fla. As of Sept. 11, Clay Electric had approximately 130,000 members — representing about 75 percent of its system — without power.

More than 50 Wisconsin co-op employees were traveling southward. Participating co-ops include Adams-Columbia, Barron, Bayfield, Central Wisconsin and Clark Electric Cooperatives, Dairyland Power Cooperative, Dunn and Eau Claire Energy Cooperatives, Oakdale and Oconto Electric Cooperatives, Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services, Price and Richland Electric Cooperatives, Riverland, Rock, and Scenic Rivers Energy Cooperatives, and Taylor and Vernon Electric Cooperatives.

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