A MESSAGE FROM YOUR GENERAL MANAGER/CEO

GARY RAYBON

Managing the Cost of Hurricane Beryl

In April, we celebrate National Lineman Appreciation Day, and this year, all of us at Wharton County Electric Cooperative have a lot more appreciation for not just our own WCEC Line Crew but for all of the line workers who helped us after Hurricane Beryl.

The week of July 7, 2024, was a week that tried the souls of everyone in the WCEC service territory. Hurricane Beryl swept through our four-county territory and left a trail of destruction in its path. Never in the history of WCEC had we seen that level of destruction to our system.

In the wake of Beryl, numerous contract and mutual aid crews came to our aid, and they, along with our dedicated employees, did a fantastic job restoring power. Virtually every one of the 6,360 meters reporting an outage was powered back up by the end of the week. It took over 70 linemen with dozens of trucks and specialized equipment operating from before sun up to after sun down for at least four consecutive days to accomplish this.

Compared to our neighboring investor-owned utility to the east, our restoration efforts were nothing short of amazing. I will forever be grateful for the work of all involved.

However, that restoration came at a cost to the members of WCEC. In all, Hurricane Beryl exerted a little over $1 million in damage to our poles, wires, and infrastructure.

Throughout the restoration effort, we documented the damage and repairs in anticipation of filing a claim with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). As a not-for-profit cooperative, we are eligible to be reimbursed for a portion of approved damages through FEMA. We have filed our claims, but as we all know, the wheels of government grind slowly.

At the February 25, 2025, WCEC Board of Directors meeting, your elected representatives carefully discussed and deliberated how to recoup unreimbursed Hurricane Beryl expenses and the associated carrying costs. To ensure a fair and equitable absorption of this cost, the board approved a motion to increase all rate classes by $0.001 per kWh. The increase will be in effect until such time as the unreimbursed Hurricane Beryl costs are recovered.

Once costs are recovered, all rates will be reduced by $0.001 per kWh. I have estimated that the increase will last for approximately twenty months.

While the rate change will affect each account differently based on usage, the average residential account should see an approximate increase of $1.50 per month.

The WCEC Board, our Leadership Team, and all of the Home Team know that our only source of funding is from our neighbors, so please rest assured this decision was not made lightly.

Mother Nature dealt us a blow in July of 2024, but we can weather any storm together. Please feel free to contact me at 979-543-6271 if you have any questions.