Middle Tennessee Electric (MTE) leadership updated cooperative members about the status of the organization and answered questions during its livestreamed Annual Meeting Saturday, Aug. 24.
Board Chairman Steve Seger, CEO Chris Jones and various MTE team members shared details about the cooperative’s community outreach and member engagement efforts, overall organizational vision, general updates about MTE’s progress and more.
“MTE is committed to providing reliable electricity and world-class service to our members,” said Chairman Seger. “These have been our hallmarks since our founding 87 years ago and will continue to guide us in the future.”
“The vision to provide world-class member service is simple, but it’s one that gives us organizational clarity in the decisions we make and in the way that we serve,” Jones said.
Items of note from the meeting program include:
- The co-op ranked in the top 6% nationally among all utilities surveyed in the J.D. Power 2023 Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study, in addition to being ranked first in the country for customer care in the same survey.
- Despite regional growth and inflationary pressures, MTE has held the average cost per kilowatt-hour at 29% below the U.S. average. The electric cooperative has achieved a 99.9% reliability rating.
- MTE’s Electric Griddle, EnergyHub and Hotline Demo trailers allow members to engage with representatives from the cooperative out in the community to learn about electrical safety, energy efficiency or to enjoy a grilled cheese sandwich.
- Improvements to the free myMTE app allow members to access helpful data and see a breakdown of their electric bills to learn more about what their electric costs are going toward.
- The cooperative continues to invest in Smart Grid technology to reduce the impact of power disruptions.
- MTE President/CEO Chris Jones discussed his role on the Tennessee Nuclear Energy Advisory Council and provided insight about the future of nuclear power.
United Communications President and CEO William Bradford shared updates about Project UNITE, an initiative to provide broadband internet access to rural and underserved areas. At the end of 2023, more than 21,000 homes and businesses in Middle Tennessee had been served through Project UNITE. In the second half of 2024, more than 7,000 MTE members in Williamson County will gain access to broadband service through United projects. The organizations also recently completed projects in Wilson and Rutherford counties.
Following this update, a Q&A session was conducted and questions from members were answered live. Members inquired about MTE’s vegetation management program and how the organization prioritizes the environment while maintaining rights-of-way, smart thermostats and thermostat settings, resources for senior citizens and more.
Per the cooperative’s bylaws, the election results for four seats on the Board of Directors were announced during the Annual Meeting. Three members were re-elected: Maureen Thornton – Williamson County (District 1B); David Lee – Rutherford County (District 2B); and Jim Mills (District 4C) – Wilson County. In the contested election for Rutherford County’s District 2E, Lynn Edwards was elected by members.
MTE board members serve staggered three-year terms, and the Nominating Committee is responsible for nominating next year’s Board of Directors candidates. The 2024-2025 Nominating Committee election resulted in the appointment of Jessica Davey, Karen Paris and Juanita Patton from District 1 – Williamson County; Thomas “Teb” Batey, Tracey Binkley, Jamey Faulkner and Danny Sapp from District 2 – Rutherford County; Jeanne Melton from District 3 – Cannon County; and Greg Butler, Zachary Butler, and Sonya Smith-Wright from District 4 – Wilson County.
In an organizational meeting following the Annual Meeting, the board re-elected Steve Seger of Williamson County as chairman, Jim Mills of Wilson County as vice chairman and Vanessa Hickman of Wilson County as secretary-treasurer.