TVA Issues Public Curtailments

MLEC Members in Parts of Perry County Affected

(April 8, 2024) — Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative is planning a six-hour power interruption beginning at Noon on Thursday, April 18, for portions of Perry County. Power should be restored by 6 p.m. Crews will use this time to safely make upgrades that will increase capacity and reliability for impacted areas.

Some of the impacted areas include White Oak Road, Peters Landing, Eagles Bend, White Oak Landing, and Paradise Landing,

In the event of inclement weather, the outage will be postponed to April 25 for the same time. Any changes to the schedule will be shared with local media and on MLEC’s social media platforms.

Should broadband not return when power is restored, unplug the router for a few minutes instead of pressing the “Reset” button. Reach out to technical support by calling 931-589-2151, and selecting Option 3, then Option 2, if needed.

“We are working to increase capacity for growth, as well as improve efficiency and reliability,” says MLEC District Manager Mike Hickerson.

Should anyone have concerns, please call MLEC at 931-589-2151.

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MLEC postpones upgrade work in Hickman County due to weather.

(April 8, 2024) — Due to impending weather, Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative has moved a maintenance outage formerly scheduled for April 10 involving the Hilltop Substation to April 16. The job will not take place on the original date, but the scope of work remains the same as follow-up to a March 6 project. The overall effort will take approximately 14 hours, but MLEC will attempt to keep the power on as crews shift the electric supply for impacted homes and businesses.

As work begins at 4 a.m. on April 16, certain areas will see a brief interruption, or blink, as MLEC shifts the load. Some of these include Universal Drive, Murphree Avenue North, Defeated Creek, Puckett Hollow, Maryfield Avenue, Huddleston Road, Skyview, Grays Bend Road South, Camp Meribah area, Green Hill Drive, Highway 100 North out of Centerville, Rivers Road.

At the same time, everyone receiving power from the Hilltop Substation will see their power interrupted at 4 a.m. for approximately one hour as their power load is redirected. Some affected areas are:  

• Highway 100 East from Johnson Mine Road to Fantasy Drive, Brown Hollow Road, Highway 7, Primm Springs, Fairfield, Johnson Mine Road, Mill Creek Road, Bell Branch Road, Keys Branch and Hidden Valley
• Little Lot Road, Hassell Creek Road, Little Lot, Leatherwood Road, Highway 50 East from Gordon Road to Hickman/Maury County line, Duck River, Mobley Ridge Road, Sheboss Road.
• Nunnelly, Highway 48 North from Fairfield to I-40, Garners Creek Road, Pinewood, White House, Pretty Creek, Piney Road, Taylor Creek Road, Vernon, Dodd Hollow, etc.

MLEC estimates work will finish around 6 p.m. on April 16. As the electric supply shifts back, the impacted areas will experience the same interruption (blink or hour-long outage) as they did at the beginning. If conditions are not favorable, the load shift will take place closer to midnight or early the next morning.

“Based on predicted forecasts, MLEC officials have determined conditions may not be suitable to conduct maintenance while still powering all these areas from one substation,” says MLEC District Manager Matthew Chessor.

MLEC will watch the forecast closely leading up to April 16. Any changes to the schedule will be shared with local media and on MLEC’s social media platforms.

For MLConnect broadband subscribers, if internet does not return when power is restored, unplug the router for a few minutes instead of pressing the “Reset” button. Reach out to technical support by calling 931-729-3558, and selecting Option 3, then Option 2, if needed.

Should anyone have concerns, please contact MLEC at 931-729-3558.

Upgrade work continues for MLEC crews.

(April 2, 2024) — As follow-up to the March 6, maintenance outage, Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative has additional work set for April 10, in the Hilltop Substation. The job will take approximately 14 hours, but MLEC will attempt to keep the power on as crews work by shifting electric load for impacted homes and businesses.

As work begins at 4 a.m. on April 10, certain areas will see a brief interruption, or blink, as MLEC shifts the load. Some of these include Universal Drive, Murphree Avenue North, Defeated Creek, Puckett Hollow, Maryfield Avenue, Huddleston Road, Skyview, Grays Bend Road South, Camp Meribah area, Green Hill Drive, Highway 100 North out of Centerville, Rivers Road.

At the same time, everyone receiving power from the Hilltop Substation will see their power interrupted at 4 a.m. for approximately one hour as their power load is redirected. Some affected areas are:  

• Highway 100 East from Johnson Mine Road to Fantasy Drive, Brown Hollow Road, Highway 7, Primm Springs, Fairfield, Johnson Mine Road, Mill Creek Road, Bell Branch Road, Keys Branch and Hidden Valley
• Little Lot Road, Hassell Creek Road, Little Lot, Leatherwood Road, Highway 50 East from Gordon Road to Hickman/Maury County line, Duck River, Mobley Ridge Road, Sheboss Road.
• Nunnelly, Highway 48 North from Fairfield to I-40, Garners Creek Road, Pinewood, White House, Pretty Creek, Piney Road, Taylor Creek Road, Vernon, Dodd Hollow, etc.

MLEC estimates work will finish around 6 p.m. on April 10. As load shifts back, the impacted areas will experience the same interruption (blink or hour-long outage) as they did at the beginning. If conditions are not favorable, the load shift will take place closer to midnight or early the next morning.

“Before switching everything back, we’ll evaluate temperatures and load,” says MLEC District Manager Matthew Chessor. “Conditions must be ‘just right’ to power all these areas from one substation. If temperatures are too hot or cold, power demand will increase, so we’ll hold shifting load back until late night or early morning.”

MLEC will watch the forecast closely leading up to April 10, and work will be postponed to April 11, if load shifting is not an option. Any changes to the schedule will be shared with local media and on MLEC’s social media platforms.

For MLConnect broadband subscribers, if internet does not return when power is restored, unplug the router for a few minutes instead of pressing the “Reset” button. Reach out to technical support by calling 931-729-3558, and selecting Option 3, then Option 2, if needed.

Should anyone have concerns, please contact call MLEC at 931-729-3558.

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MLConnect schedules network maintenance

(March 8, 2024) —  In efforts to continue a high quality of service, Meriwether Lewis Connect will conduct system maintenance between the hours of 11:50 p.m. on March 12, and 2:00 a.m. on March 13.  Connectivity will go out and come back on for all broadband and phone subscribers at some point during the two-hour service window.

“We will keep the outage window as brief as possible,” says MLEC President and CEO Keith Carnahan. “We hope the advanced notice allows everyone to prepare and keep the inconvenience to a minimum.”

If service does not return to normal after the allotted outage time, subscribers should disconnect power to their modem for a few minutes to reset. If this does not fix the issues, subscribers should call their local MLEC office and choose Option 3, then Option 2, for technical assistance.

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TECA Hosts 2024 Legislative Conference in Nashville

(March 8, 2024) —Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative Board of Directors and President and CEO Keith Carnahan joined more than 175 electric cooperative leaders from across the state in Nashville on Feb. 20 and 21, for the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association’s 2024 Legislative Conference.

“The Legislative Conference is a time where our Board Directors spend time with legislators to share local needs and discuss issues impacting our industry and communities,” Carnahan said. “The General Assembly is a great partner with Tennessee Electric Cooperatives, and we appreciate their time to hear what matters to MLEC.”

MLEC leaders heard from political strategists and policy advisors as well as Tennessee leaders, including advisors to Gov. Bill Lee and Secretary of State Tre Hargett. Reliability, new policies and industry challenges were the main discussion points with legislators. From cybersecurity to EPA regulations, MLEC co-op leaders advocated for specific legislation that supports rural electric cooperatives and protects the energy supply.

MLEC Board Directors Ronny Averett, Johnnie Ruth Elrod, Sam Fussell, Tommy Graham, Dr. Zack Hutchens, Jessie Wallace and Dr. Jeff Peery attended this year’s conference. Visits with Senator Kerry Roberts, Representative Jody Barrett, Senator John Stevens, Senator Joey Hensley and Representative Kirk Haston were scheduled while they were at the Capitol.

 “The partnerships formed at the state level allow MLEC to better serve our members and keep the cooperative prepared for future obstacles,” Carnahan said. “The decisions made by local lawmakers are of great importance to all Tennessee electric cooperatives, and MLEC is proud to have a seat at the table when discussing the future of the industry.”

MLEC Members in Parts of Hickman County Affected

(February 28, 2024) — Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative is planning a power interruption at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, March 6, to conduct time-sensitive upgrades. The outage, which will also affect MLConnect broadband service, is expected to take about three hours and affect those receiving power from the Hilltop Substation.

Some of the impacted areas include:

• Highway 100 East from Johnson Mine Road to Fantasy Drive, Brown Hollow Road, Highway 7, Primm Springs.
• Little Lot Road, Hassell Creek Road, Little Lot, Leatherwood Road, Highway 50 East from Gordon Road to Hickman/Maury County line, Duck River, Mobley Ridge Road, Sheboss Road.
• Fairfield, Johnson Mine Road, Mill Branch Road, Bell Branch Road, Keys Branch and Hidden Valley.
• Nunnelly, Highway 48 North from Fairfield to I-40, Garners Creek Road, Pinewood, White House, Pretty Creek, Piney Road, Taylor Creek Road, Vernon, Dodd Hollow, etc.

In the event of inclement weather, the outage will take place the next night (March 7) at the same time. Any changes to the schedule will be shared with local media and on MLEC’s social media platforms.

Should broadband not return when power is restored, unplug the router for a few minutes instead of pressing the “Reset” button. Reach out to technical support by calling 931-729-3558, and selecting Option 3, then Option 2, if needed.

“We are working to increase capacity for growth, as well as improve efficiency and reliability,” says MLEC District Manager Matthew Chessor. “This is the first of two outages needed for the work being done.”

Should anyone have concerns, please contact call MLEC at 931-729-3558.

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MLEC begins project to upgrade meters in Humphreys County

(February 20, 2024) — In ongoing efforts to serve its members more efficiently and reliably, Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative is upgrading meters across its service area. Work in Humphreys County is expected to begin in early March and finish in June.

“Like any technology, meter upgrades come along as older equipment becomes unreliable and has less manufacturer support if something goes wrong,” says MLEC President and CEO Keith Carnahan. “We are replacing the unsupported meters with an upgraded model and combining its technology with MLConnect broadband to provide safe, affordable, reliable power to our members.”

The advanced meters improve reliability by pinpointing and responding to power outages more effectively, creating opportunities for grid improvements, and diagnosing and resolving issues before they occur. Ultimately, it saves outage time and the costs associated with unexpected power interruptions.

The installation only takes a few minutes, creates a momentary outage, and only involves outside equipment. The property owner does not need to be present. MLEC understands members might question someone unfamiliar on their property, so employees are always in clearly marked vehicles and have photo id badges.

For additional details, contact your local MLEC office or visit the “Services” tab on www.mlec.com/mlec-meters/. 

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MLEC Contributes Funds to Local Football Program

(February 9, 2024) — MLEC put Co-op Principle Number 7, Concern for Community, into practice by giving $2,250 to the McEwen High School football team. MLEC Board Directors David Daniel, Larry Mayberry, Andy Porch and Jessie Wallace made the contribution to purchase gym equipment for the football program.

Pictured above: MLEC Board Director Andy Porch (left) presented the funds to team representative Charlie Gill (right).

MLEC Members May Continue Normal Practices

(January 17, 2024) — Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative members may resume regular routines as the Tennessee Valley Authority has ended voluntary curtailments for electricity use. With the help of members, TVA navigated a new all-time peak at 8:00 a.m. of approximately 34,500 MW during frigid temperatures.

“We greatly appreciate your assistance in managing demand through this extreme winter weather event,” said President and CEO Keith Carnahan. “TVA was able to maintain a reliable power system and provide electricity without disruption thanks to members limiting their load.”

MLEC will continue to monitor temperatures and loads throughout the day. However, the need for additional curtailment is considered low.

Since Tuesday, the TVA service area, which includes MLEC, was placed under guidelines to voluntarily limit electrical use. These included lowering thermostats, avoiding large appliance use during peak hours and unplugging or turning off unnecessary devices. As a customer of TVA power, MLEC was required to issue the guidelines to members, which have since been lifted.

As frigid temperatures continue, MLEC wants to remind members of safe and energy efficient practices. Visit www.mlec.com to learn more about keeping your home warm while managing your power bill.

MLEC Shares Guidelines for Members

(January 16, 2024– Centerville, TN) —Extreme cold temperatures combined with energy demands across the Tennessee Valley Authority service territory have caused TVA to implement public curtailments starting at 1:00 p.m. Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative is taking steps in-house to conserve energy and asks members to follow TVA’s request to help maintain a stable power grid.

Until further notice, residents are asked to reduce power consumption by delaying the use of large appliances such as dishwashers, washing machines and electric dryers during the peak hours (6 AM to 10 AM). Also, turn off unnecessary devices and lights, and when possible, adjust thermostats down a degree or two.

MLEC is a local electric distribution cooperative that purchases its power from TVA. As part of the agreement, MLEC is required to support TVA in electric load curtailments to maintain reliability during rare circumstances such as winter weather events.

“MLEC apologizes for this inconvenience to members,” said MLEC President and CEO Keith Carnahan. “We are taking every step in-house to comply with TVA and hope members follow as well to ensure a reliable power grid for all members.”

During frigid temperatures, MLEC also understands the importance of safety while following curtailment guidelines. We encourage members to check on elderly or disabled neighbors to ensure they remain warm throughout the night. For other safety tips and energy efficiency questions, visit www.mlec.com.