Bringing the Blueprint to Life

March Message from Randall Pugh
President/CEO

When my wife and I received the plans to our first home, we sat at our kitchen table bursting with ideas about furniture, paint colors and the like. Then reality hit. We’d be working with a variety of contractors to get all the materials needed to make our home a reality.

Now that we have a better idea about our country’s energy policy, I find myself thinking back to that kitchen table. It will take a number of energy resources to deliver reliable, affordable electricity. In our business we have to evaluate market trends, government legislation and member needs before we choose an energy supply strategy.

Congress’ current emphasis on energy includes provisions for weatherization, energy efficiency improvements and the exploration of renewables, which aligns with our history of offering energy-efficient products and services. At Jackson EMC, we’re also continuing our plans to ensure a strong energy mix to meet our demand and your energy needs. Jackson EMC has a diverse energy portfolio to balance our energy supply options. Currently we rely on coal, nuclear, natural gas and renewable fuel sources such as biomass and hydro.

We can’t put all our eggs in one basket. Relying on one of these over the other would be more costly to our membership and it wouldn’t meet our energy needs. For instance, we still believe in the viability of nuclear- and coal-powered generation and its ability to help ensure reasonable rates for its customers. Our planning team uses research and scientific studies to estimate growth, demand, weather forecasts and more.

We’re carefully watching the energy market to stay ahead of the curve, and we hope a national focus on energy policy will benefit all consumers. Conservative management allowed us to negotiate favorable long-term power contracts ensuring competitive rates. During this time, we’ve been preparing for the next step in the blueprint. For years, our short- and long-term planning efforts have included our government’s environmental regulations, and we’ll continue studying ways to provide reliable power while remaining good stewards of our resources and your money.

Randall Pugh
President/CEO.