SC | co-op news YORK www.yorkelectric.net 1385 E. Alexander Love Hwy. York, SC 29745 1-866-374-1234 MEMBER SERVICES (803) 684-4248 MAIN OFFICE (803) 684-4247 (800) 582-8810 Hours: 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday–Friday FORT MILL OFFICE 2089 Hwy. 21 Bypass Fort Mill, SC 29715 (803) 548-4244 Hours: 8 a.m.–12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.–5 p.m. BOARD OF TRUSTEES E. Jack Cornwell Chairman, District 2 Max T. Settlemyre Vice Chairman, District 1 Richard B. Sadler Secretary/Treasurer, District 9 Richard M. Roach, District 3 Paul D. Poston, District 4 Carolyn Hicks Boyd, District 5 William Roy “Will” Mitchell, District 6 Marion Comer, District 7 A peace-of-mind investment York Electric offers new generator program Tried and true, tested for you YEC’s 35-year employee Oliver Dowdle was the first participant in the generator program. Before marketing the product to our community, we wanted to be sure it was the right choice to offer members. Who better to test the product than our own safety coordinator? Dowdle has been pleased with the results. As he notes, “I wanted to install a generator to increase reliability. When I’m out working a storm, it’s nice to know my family has power at home.” Tommie Bratton, District 8 PRESIDENT & CHIEF IN SEPTEMBER 1989, Hurricane Hugo wreaked havoc across our area, leaving thousands without power. Who knew that our inland towns and communities would be torn apart by 90 mph winds? Like many weather events since, we can see how storms can be unpredictable—sometimes devastating. Despite our best planning efforts, storms prove no co-op can prevent all outages. We at YEC pride ourselves on providing reliable service to our members. We do our best to prepare for the worst. That includes increasing YEC’s underground distribution system from 445 miles of underground line to 1,938 miles of underground line since 2003. It means maintaining a true fifive- year right-of-way maintenance plan to lessen the number of downed trees. Rest assured that every outage is addressed with dedication. Our crews work through wind and rain to restore service as quickly and safely as possible. Although we pray storms stay clear of our service area, no one can guarantee the weather. Holding true to our commitment to look out for you, we have researched another way to provide you with the power you need, even in the worst storm. YEC has become a certifified Generac dealer, working with a local installer to provide members the option to purchase a whole house generator at a discounted rate. We understand that electricity is a necessity and we want to do our part, even when it might be out of our control, to keep your power on. If you have any questions about purchasing a generator for your home, please contact Energy Services Coordinator Brent Clinton at Brent. [email protected]. We will also have a display at our 79th Annual Meeting on May 9. We will be happy to address any of your concerns then. EXECUTIVE OFFICER Paul Basha CO-OP NEWS EDITOR Porter W. Gable FIND US ON We look forward to serving your needs with this program, helping you stay powered on all the time. PAUL BASHA President and Chief Executive Officer 4 SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | MARCH 2020 | SCLIVING.COOP OLIVER DOWDLE/ERIN POWELL