4-County Electric announces broadband survey, gives virus response update

Expanding internet service has long been a hot topic of conversation in Mississippi — particularly in rural areas — which has one local utility cooperative soliciting feedback from its members.

4-County Electric Power Association will soon survey its members to gauge their interest in the co-op’s approach to expanding service, including undertaking a massive and costly expansion project that could impact member’s pocketbooks if it isn’t unsuccessful.

The survey, which will come as a wrapper on the company’s Today in Mississippi magazine in April, will feature three questions, with two of them asking about the customer’s service with 4-County or if the customer would be willing to leave their current provider if 4-County was able to offer a competitive price.

Perhaps the most important question, though, begins with the company saying the majority of financing for a broadband project — estimated to be roughly $110 million — would be through 4-County Electric. This means if the project fails to come to fruition, all 4-County members would feel the impact. The question is then posed “would you be willing to offer the electric system as collateral on a potential loan amount of approximately $110 million in order to build a fiber optic broadband system?”

4-County CEO and General Manager Brian Clark told the Daily Times Leader on Thursday the cooperative wants to make sure the move to potentially use loans to fund a large-scale expansion is not perceived as negative, but also said there is some confusion and vagueness in the law as to what can impact the rate payers.

“The basic truth, the only way we can pay for this is to take out loans on the electric side,” Clark said. “We just want to be sure that everybody is aligned. We’re not trying to be slow, not trying to be negative. This is going to be the biggest decision we’ve ever made.”

The CEO then said members on both sides of the issue are passionate and emotions are expected to run high during this time.

“On both sides of the fence, for and against, they are passionate to the point some people are emotional about it,” Clark said. “My mission, our mission will always be doing what’s best for our membership.”

Clark said that the co-op will also offer prizes for those who participate in the survey, hoping add an incentive for those who want to participate.

“You just put your name, an account number, and if you fill it out and turn it in, to get most responses, we’re giving away a used truck, $500 in energy credits and batterypowered yard tools.”

The truck will be a fourdoor 2010 GMC that was previously used by 4-County.

“The reason we’re incentivizing those prizes, we want as many people to fill out those surveys as we can,” Clark said. “We’ve received about 30-40 emails from members, many in Clay County, but wanted the entire membership to give feedback.”

The deadline to complete and return the survey to be eligible for prizes is April 24.

While 4-County is working to keep an eye toward the future, just about every business, including the cooperative, have been impacted in some way by the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Clark said 4-County is no different, with the company adhering to guidelines set out by the Mississippi Public Service Commission of not disconnecting service for 60 days, regardless of ability to pay.

“We do have some plans on the back end,” Clark said. “There is a program called Warm Neighbors, which is facilitated through the Salvation Army.”

For that program, Clark said 4-County’s members raise the money and a third party determines how it will be spent.

“We have that to help people and there is an avenue to help them,” he said.

But for now, Clark said it is service as usual at 4-County.

“We are staggering our employees if we have a breakout, so we have measures in place to keep the same level of service,” he said. “April is typically a storm month for our area. We just don’t want our staff sick when we need them to service our members. We know there are a lot of people struggling like that, so we’re just praying.”