October 4, 2021 Home
The annual meeting of Powell Valley Electric Cooperative (PVEC) took place at the Hancock County Middle/High School on Saturday, September 18. Due to concerns about COVID-19, many of the activities that we look forward to at the annual meeting – entertainment, health fair, lunch, and meeting lots of friends and neighbors – did not take place this year. There was social distancing during the business meeting.
Most of the activity and talking took place in front of the school. Staff and PVEC members gathered outside the main entrance. This year Powell Valley Member Voices organized a drive-in with 6 electric vehicles (EVs) and a battery-powered riding lawn mower. Cars represented included the Chevy Bolt, Nissan Leaf, Tesla, and a Ford Mustang. The electric mower was a Ryobi brand.
EV owners were happy to provide information about their vehicles. Naturally, all the EV owners have driven internal combustion engine vehicles, so they were able to compare how the two types of vehicles operate. Staff members were offered rides in the EVs to experience first hand the quiet drive, instant speed pickup, and technology available on the dashboard. Several staff members drove an EV on the road outside the school.
From the point of view of an electric cooperative, EVs offer another opportunity to grow their business. We know burning fossil fuels (gas for our cars and trucks) is bad for our health and environment. On top of that, electric cooperatives exist to provide electricity. This is the business of the cooperative: provide and sell electricity.
Ford has recently announced an $11 billion investment in electric vehicle and battery production. One of the plants involved will be located in Tennessee – along with manufacturing plants currently operated by Nissan, Volkswagen, and Cadillac that either are now or soon will be producing EVs. There are two electric school bus manufacturers in North Carolina, with growing demands for these zero emission vehicles.
Member Voices has been encouraging PVEC to purchase EVs for staff use. These are American made and available now. Hopefully, getting a first hand look at and ride in these electric vehicles will encourage PVEC to buy at least one staff car, as have Holston Electric Cooperative and many other electric cooperatives.
Everyone needs to learn more about our electric cooperative. For more information, go to pve.coop.