In my 11 years as the CEO of Big Country Electric Cooperative, we’ve maintained a goal of fostering a true environment of teamwork. We can always improve, but we have made significant strides in the last year toward this important goal. True teamwork helps us all manage the constant companion of change.
Teamwork is defined as work done by a group acting together so that each member contributes to the efficiency of the whole. The team I work with has evolved over the years. Each employee at Big Country EC is a vital part of our team. These changes have helped us operate more effectively as a unit. One of our employees, Arron Duniven, often says, “Teamwork makes the dream work.” Simple, but true.
Sometimes our team extends beyond the employees at Big Country EC to include some of our neighboring cooperatives. One of the Seven Cooperative Principles is Cooperation Among Cooperatives. Big Country EC experienced this principle firsthand in summer 2023. Three neighboring cooperatives—Concho Valley, Lyntegar and Taylor electric cooperatives—came to our aid when a storm damaged more than 200 poles.
There’s a saying that it’s better to give than to receive, but it was especially true in this situation. Big Country EC was incredibly grateful for the support. There was excellent teamwork among all the crews who worked together with a common goal to restore power to our members safely and promptly.
Earlier this year, we were able to give rather than receive. Big Country EC sent crews to help restore service to North Plains Electric Cooperative after fires devastated their service territory. This principle is one of the reasons electric cooperatives are so special.
Internally, Big Country EC has focused on improving teamwork. A practical approach has been in-house training programs. Our T&D PowerSkills and line progression program have been key to the success of our line personnel now and in the future. T&D PowerSkills is also a tool used to cross-train employees on the basics of line work, helping us all be better teammates with a deeper understanding of how teamwork spans different departments at Big Country EC.
Teamwork is also crucial between BCEC and our members. We intentionally seek to be a partner who puts proper financial planning in place to minimize changes in your power costs. We use a power cost adjustment in our billing to account for fluctuations in natural gas costs affecting our wholesale power cost, a key component of our bill.
This teamwork means we aim to keep positive and negative impacts as minimal as possible, providing consistent prices. However, circumstances may occasionally require that we adjust the PCA factor. When these occur, our role is to be a good team player and communicate those changes to you. We always aim for true teamwork between BCEC and you, the member, in our billing processes.
Another crucial aspect of our teamwork with members involves planning our system for the future. We are building multiple new substations, which are essential for addressing the challenge of growth. These substations support the connection of new oil field loads and enhance the reliability of our electric distribution system.
More new substations will be built in the future to replace aging assets and manage growth in other areas of our system. We also maintain system reliability through regular pole inspections on a 10-year rotating schedule. This is vital for keeping our system operational and reliable.
Effective and regular communication with our members is another key element of our teamwork. We appreciate you, but as in any relationship, actions must back up words. Big Country EC would not exist without our wonderful members.
The relationship between Big Country EC and the community is of great importance. The great reputation of BCEC in the communities we serve has significantly aided our recruitment efforts over the past year. We have attracted multiple skilled applicants for our open positions, and we are fortunate to hire the best of the best.
Our industry is evolving rapidly, so we need employees with a strong team-first attitude willing to adapt to be the best team players they can be. We have just that in our new and existing employees. Teamwork is essential to achieving our ultimate goal of being a cooperative that not only provides electricity but also improves the quality of life in all aspects.
Teamwork is also vital in the relationships we foster with Golden Spread Electric Cooperative, our generation and transmission co-op; Texas Electric Cooperatives; and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas and Southwest Power Pool, the two power grids we operate within. Each of these relationships is crucial for our wholesale power, maintaining statewide legislative connections and meeting requirements in the two power grids. For Big Country EC to be successful, we must maintain strong relationships with each of these entities. We need a teamwork mindset to stay updated with important information and manage these essential relationships.
Big Country EC is committed to operating from a teamwork mindset rather than seeking individual accolades. We strive to be the best electric cooperative in Texas through strong teamwork. Our employees and board of directors are second to none. They consistently put the interests of our members first and ensure their concerns are heard. I am incredibly grateful to be part of such an amazing team.
