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Special to The Lowndes Signal

Pioneer Electric Cooperative is actively working for members to maintain stable rates and has no intentions to increase rates in the immediate future, the company reports.

Pioneer Electric Cooperative (PEC) has recently been asked about a possible rate increase. Rising costs of wholesale power, federal requirements and low member density all
contribute to the price of providing power, but PEC would like to reassure members that they have no immediate intentions to increase rates.

The cooperative is working aggressively to protect the rates of members to keep them stable.

“I am frequently asked about possible rate increases,” said Executive Vice President and General Manager Terry Moseley. “Pioneer is continuously being forced to meet more and more
unnecessary rules and regulations by the federal government and the Environmental Protection Agency. We also have to balance these strict regulations alongside the rising worldwide demand for electric utility materials and operational cost, as well as other factors that drive up the cost of producing power.”

Moseley reiterated the fact that the cooperative has no intentions of increasing rates. He also explained that despite recent increases in PEC’s wholesale power costs, the cooperative has not raised rates. PEC has been able to keep rates at the current level by cutting costs where possible in the past two years.

“ Members can help by increasing appliance efficiency ratings, promoting cooperative membership and voicing concerns about the rising costs of power production to the legislators of our country,” Moseley said. “There is power in numbers and there are over 42,000,000 cooperative members throughout the country.”

PEC encourages members to stay informed and to get involved in the legislative process by contacting national and state leaders through the National Rural Electric Cooperative
Association’s legislative action webpage at action.coop. Members can also stay informed by visiting the PEC website at www.pioneerelectric.com.

Pioneer Electric Cooperative serves more than 13,000 meters along more than 2,740 miles of distribution lines in Butler, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Dallas, Lowndes, Monroe and Wilcox counties.

For more information, please contact Casey Rogers at (334) 382-4904 or by email at crogers@pioneerelectric.com.