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Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative (also known as MLEC) is a non-profit, member owned utility cooperative that provides electric power service and internet services to rural communities in western Middle Tennessee. It is a 501(c)(12) organization, and is headquartered in Centerville, Tennessee. It was established in 1939 under the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Act of 1939, and also holds a government-granted monopoly on electric power distribution within its service area, which includes Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Lewis, and Perry counties. It is named after American explorer Meriwether Lewis, who is buried in its service area. MLEC is a part of the Touchstone Energy cooperative federation.

History

In June 1939, MLEC was organized by representatives from Hickman, Humphreys, Lewis, and Perry counties in the Hickman County Courthouse in Centerville, Tennessee. MLEC has its origins in a New Deal program aimed at the transfer of the Tennessee Electric Power Company (TEPCO), a subsidiary of the Commonwealth & Southern Corporation, to public ownership. In August 1939, the Federal Government purchased TEPCO for $78,425,095, marking the largest single transfer of a utility from private to public ownership, and made Tennessee the first state in the country with state-wide publicly-owned power. The purchase was criticized by Commonwealth & Southern's president, Wendell Willkie, who claimed the company had been forced to sell because it was unable to compete with government funded competition. The cooperative was officially incorporated that same month, when TEPCO's holdings in the MLEC associated counties were transferred to the cooperative. Houston County was added to the service area shortly afterwards. The TEPCO transfer in included 132 miles (212 km) of electric power lines in the MLEC service area, and by 1949 it had built 741 miles (1,193 km) of power lines. In 1965, MLEC's manager, Paul Tidwell, was elected president of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association following his high-profile advocacy and congressional testimony in favor of rural electrification. By 1994, it had expanded its network to over 3,000 miles (4,800 km) of power lines. Most funding for the early expansion of the cooperative's power network was supplied by the Rural Electrification Administration in the form of low-interest loans.

The cooperative's operations were significantly impacted by the 2021 Tennessee floods. MLEC's largest service facility and storage yard was located alongside a creek that flooded in Waverly, Tennessee. During the flood, all vehicles in the yard were either damaged or destroyed, as was 20 percent of the infrastructure materials located in the yard. Operations were shifted to its four remaining operational service centers, and electricity had been restored to most hospitals and shelters in the affected area within 48 hours with the assistance of neighboring utilities that were less severely impacted.

Services

Electricity

MLEC does not operate electric generation facilities, but rather purchases electric power for distribution from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), and is a de jure monopoly within its service area. In 2003, MLEC issued a required five-year notice to the TVA that it was exploring alternative power suppliers and could cease power purchases from the Authority. MLEC rescinded its cancellation notice in 2004, instead opting to remain with the TVA as its sole power supplier. In 2019, MLEC was the recipient of a $60 million USDA loan to begin construction of smart grid applications within its service area.

Internet

In August 2018, MLEC began construction of rural gigabit broadband internet infrastructure, becoming an internet service provider operating under the brand name MLConnect. In 2019 it connected its first customer and construction was completed in its five county service area in 2022. The infrastructure improvements were partially funded by government grants from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, which were established in response to a 2019 report from the Federal Communications Commission that highlighted the lack of rural broadband internet access in the state. In 2020, MLEC began a program named 'My MLEC Wifi' to implement free community wireless internet in numerous public parks and spaces within its service areas.

Aid and advocacy

In 1964, MLEC leadership took part in a USAID and NRECA sponsored program in which American rural electric experts advised developing countries in establishing rural electrification. As a part of this program, MLEC was tapped to provide assistance to Peru. In addition to participating in international rural electrification programs, MLEC has taken part in lobbying efforts and congressional testimony to maintain government support of the TVA.

MLEC provides numerous grants and loan programs supporting local government and small businesses in its service area. In 1991, MLEC created the Adopt-A-School Grant program with the goal of creating matching grants from local businesses to support educators and schools through monetary contributions towards items such as books, classroom equipment, and academic intervention programs. MLEC has operated a revolving loan fund since 1996. Through this program, MLEC provides no interest loans to small business operating in their service area. Additionally, MLEC services pass-through loans from Federal agencies to rural businesses designed to assist in rural employment. As with many electric power organizations, MLEC provides personnel and equipment to disaster relief efforts resulting in widescale power outages, such as hurricanes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, MLEC and the TVA issued multiple grants in the service area focused on aid to non-profits and local government efforts to address nutrition, health, and education concerns.

See also

• Tennessee Valley Authority

References

1. "About Us ! MLConnect Broadband". www.mlconnect.com.
2. ^ "Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative". Nonprofit Explorer. ProPublica. Archived from the original on 2022-08-31. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
3. ^ "Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative". Tennessee Valley Authority. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
4. Opinions and Decisions of the Federal Power Commission January 1, 1931-June 30, 1939: Vol 1. Washington: Government Printing Office. 1940. p. 825.
5. ^ Dowell, Paula; Murray, Matthew N. (October 2001). Potential Impacts of Electric Utility Restructuring on Local Governments in Tennessee. Knoxville: The Center for Business and Economic Research, University of Tennessee. p. 17.
6. ^ Lewis County, Tennessee: History and Families. Paducah, Ky.: Turner Publishing Company. 1995. p. 28. ISBN 9781563111969.
7. "Find Your Cooperative". Touchstone Energy Cooperatives. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
8. "Final Payment Made in Huge TEPCO Deal". The Commercial Appeal. 16 August 1939. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
9. "Making Over Five Counties". The Chattanooga Daily Times. 18 August 1949. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
10. "REA Elects National President". The Tampa Tribune. Associated Press. 25 January 1965. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
11. ^ Rural Electric and Rural Telephone Supplemental Financing, Hearings before the Committee on Agriculture, House of Representatives. Washington: Government Printing Office. 1967. p. 165. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
12. Levenson, Michael (22 August 2021). "8 Are Dead After Flooding In Tennessee". New York Times. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
13. "Tennessee Co-op Suffers Losses but Works to Restore Power After Flooding". National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
14. "Electricity Rates". MLEC.com. Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
15. "Duck River may seek TVA alternatives". The Tennessean. Associated Press. 7 August 2003. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
16. Mansfield, Duncan (18 August 2004). "Good news, bad news for TVA". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. Associated Press. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
17. "Rural Development - Tennessee Office: USDA Invests $1.4 Billion in Rural Electric Infrastructure Improvements in 21 States". Targeted News Service. Athena Information Solutions. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
18. "FAQ's | MLConnect Broadband". www.mlconnect.com. Retrieved 2023-06-18.
19. Smith, Chris (25 September 2019). "Erin ranked 4th worst for internet speed, but not for long". The Leaf-Chronicle. USA Today Network. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
20. Kelly, Chris. "ADTRAN signs deal to boost connectivity in Rural America". Total Telecom Online. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
21. "MLConnect hits milestone of 10,000 Subscribers". Lewis County Herald. 9 June 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
22. "Tennessee Co-Ops Receive $6.2 Million in State Grants for Broadband". Athena Information Solutions Pvt. Ltd. Targeted News Service. 20 March 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
23. "Governor Lee, Commissioner Rolfe announce nearly $20 million in broadband accessibility grants". The Tennessean. 9 April 2020. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
24. Ivey, Crystal (14 December 2020). "Connecting Communities During A Pandemic". States News Service. States News Service.
25. "Local Man Assists Emerging Country in Obtaining Power". The Tulia Herald. 17 December 1964. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
26. Hearings Before the Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives, Eighty-Fourth Congress. Washington: Government Printing Office. 1955. p. 558.
27. Hearings before the Committee on Public Works, United States Senate, Eighty-Fifth Congress, Nomination of Arnold R. Jones. Washington: Government Printing Office. 1957. p. 123.
28. "Houston County teachers receive MLEC grants". The Leaf-Chronicle. 3 February 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
29. "Houston County schools receive MLEC grant". Stewart-Houston Times. 7 February 2017. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
30. "Meriwether Lewis Electric Co-op helps local business with loan". Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
31. "Meriwether Lewis EC Helps DCDL Media Expand Services". Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association.
32. "AGRICULTURE SECRETARY VILSACK ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $6 MILLION IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUNDING". States News Service. States News Service. 23 September 2009. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
33. "Hugo Knocked Us Down But Not Out". The Item. 12 October 1989. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
34. "Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative & Tennessee Valley Authority Support Organizations Responding to COVID-19". Targeted News Service. Athena Information Solutions Pvt. Ltd. 11 June 2020.

External links

• Official website

• Cooperatives based in Tennessee