8/26/2015

Electric linemen exemplify the value of teamwork

    Remember how brutally hot and dry it was in July? Heat advisories were commonplace as the combination of high temperature and humidity made it feel hotter than 105 F in some parts of the state.
    That’s the kind of weather electric power association crews (and all other emergency responders) endured while working in the throes of the Hurricane Katrina recovery.
    These guys worked from sunrise to dark for days on end to rebuild literally thousands of miles of power lines destroyed by the storm. Teamwork made it happen. As thousands more electric cooperative crews came from other states to help, their ranks swelled to more than 12,000.
    I’ve mentioned several times in this column how I admire line workers for their unique abilities and skills—and the pride they take in their work. No lineman can escape feeling a twinge of heartache when he sees the electrical system he worked so hard to build lying tangled in debris.
    Then there’s the physical discomfort. In an emergency situation, line workers are likely to toil 14 hours or more in sweltering heat (or freezing weather, in the case of an ice storm).
    It takes a work force of dedicated, skilled and safety-conscious individuals to handle the job of emergency power restoration in a disaster. We all depend on their ability to help us recover after a crushing blow like Katrina.
    In his new book, “America’s Great Storm: Leading Through Hurricane Katrina,” Gov. Haley Barbour shares 10 leadership lessons from the crisis. One of the lessons is “there is no substitute for having a strong team around you.” (More about the book on page 5.)
    No one accomplishes much without help from others. That’s why Mississippi’s 26 electric power associations unite to achieve mutual goals—emergency power restoration being a perfect example. For decades we have refined not only emergency response plans on the local level but have forged strong alliances with other electric cooperatives across the region.
    When we needed help rebuilding our electrical systems after Katrina, it poured in from electric cooperatives in 21 other states. Crews, trucks, equipment and fuel arrived just when we needed them, all according to plan.
   In the 10 years since Katrina, we have returned the favor several times by sending emergency crews in the wake of hurricanes, ice storms and tornadoes.
    That’s just how we do things in the world of electric cooperatives. We’re all on the same team.

    Don’t get mad at your air conditioner. It’s doing the best it can.
    On an exceptionally hot day, an air conditioner can cool your home only so much—about 20 degrees below the outside temperature. So if it’s 100 degrees outside, your home’s indoor temperature may hover around 80 degrees or higher, even if the thermostat is set lower.
    At the same time, your air conditioner is reducing the humidity inside the home, making 80 feel more like the mid-70s, especially if you use ceiling or portable fans. Moving air cools the skin by increasing evaporation; it does not, however, reduce the room temperature. So don’t let a fan run on and on in an unoccupied room. That wastes energy and money.
    Our job is not only to provide the electric energy you need, but to help you use efficiently.

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