UDWI REMC values feedback from our residential members because the better we understand you, the better we can serve you. Our member survey, created with the help of SMARInsights, is now live! Thank you in advance for helping us improve.
Utilities District of Western Indiana REMC would like to say “thank you” to all the cooperative members, employees, outside crews, and our communities for your support during last month’s supercell storm that ripped through our service territory.
Messages from members were extremely encouraging as line and tree trimming crews worked day and night to replace nearly 100 poles, repair hundreds of lines, and restore 415 separate outages that affected 10,101 electric meters. This work accounted for 1,855 hours of labor throughout the week. We can’t thank you enough for your understanding, patience and kind words during this weather event.
UDWI’s line crews also received assistance throughout the week from fellow cooperatives, contractors, and peers in the industry including: USC, Electricom, Intren, Hendricks Power, Boone County REMC, Henry County REMC, Parke County REMC, Clark County REMC, Daviess-Martin County REMC, Haley Brothers, and Hoosier Energy. In total, 57 outside employees stepped up to support UDWI which totaled 4,300 hours of contract labor, and we would like to express our gratitude to these crews for their hard work and sacrifice to assist us.
Finally, our greatest appreciation to all UDWI team members from the line crews, Hoosier Heritage Management tree trimming, office personnel, dispatch, customer service representatives and more. You all played a major part in restoring power and providing excellent service to our members. CSRs answered more than 500 calls per day during the outage event, and leadership who worked nonstop to support crews in the field. This was a true team effort, and it does not go unnoticed.
While we hope these outage events are few and far between, we stay prepared and ready to serve you, the member, when the next one hits.
From UDWI CEO Doug Childs:
“First and foremost, we share in your frustration and getting power restored is the most important issue facing us all. This storm produced straight line, 80-mph winds, similar to hurricane force winds, which resulted in some of the worst damage we’ve experienced in decades.
We have 26 crews actively working to repair the hundreds of areas that are damaged. The number of people working on this outage is the most ever deployed in our territory and includes our entire team and all line crews, five neighboring cooperatives, two additional contractors and dedicated tree trimming crews. Crews are working 16-18 hours per day and will continue to do so until everyone is restored.
There is often no quick way to restore power, especially with the amount of broken poles, completely severed lines and debris we are facing. We understand that everyone’s patience is wearing thin, and we realize the incredible inconvenience that you are weathering. Please know that repairs must be done methodically and safely, and we are working as quickly as we can.
We believe we will make significant progress today, but please be aware that we expect restoration and repair efforts to continue through Friday, June 28.
We will continue to provide updates on our social media page and website. Please stay safe and know that we are sending help your way.”
Utilities District of Western Indiana REMC would like to thank members for their patience as we work to assess damages and restore power as a result of the recent storm system. Line crews are out making repairs and working to restore power safely and efficiently. We’ve also called in assistance from other co-ops, as well as tree and line contractors, and we thank those crews for their willingness to help as our crews have worked through the night and continue to be in the field.
At this time, we do not have estimated restoration times due to the volume and severity of the weather-related outages. Please know we are working hard to get all members on as quickly as possible, while keeping our crews safe as they work in these conditions. The damage is extensive across our service territory, and we still have over 5,000 members without power as of 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 26. Currently, we have over 20 broken poles and anticipate finding more as the day continues. Outages caused by broken poles can take three hours to replace, in addition to the time spent returning to headquarters to get the necessary equipment.
As a reminder, members can report an outage by calling the UDWI office (812-384-4446), using the UDWI app (UDWI REMC in the App Store and Google Play Store), or via UDWI’s texting service. During a large storm situation, please be sure to use one of these options instead of reporting through Facebook to help ensure our dispatch team sees your outage. Comments and messages during this time can be hard to track due to the large quantity. Dispatch is also working hard to update the Outage Management System which has been overloaded throughout the night and some areas may be experiencing glitches.
We share in your frustration as our employees, line crews, their families and our entire community feel the impact of this storm and many of us are still without power as well. Thank you again for your patience and understanding, and please be safe!
BLOOMFIELD, Ind. (April 16, 2024) — The Utilities District of Western Indiana REMC and Mainstream Fiber Networks announced today their partnership in the largest fiber project for the cooperative’s service territory.
As part of the partnership, Mainstream will focus on establishing broadband connections to unserved and underserved areas within UDWI’s service area, specifically taking a county-wide approach. UDWI will provide advice and assist Mainstream in determining strategically located fiber backbones for broadband projects, which will then connect at least 80 percent of residents and businesses in the area.
“At Mainstream, we believe that access to reliable internet is not just a luxury but a fundamental necessity for participation in today’s digital economy,” said Mainstream CEO Brian Gabriel. “By extending our reach into rural communities, we are not only unlocking new opportunities for economic growth and innovation but also fostering greater inclusivity and equality of access. This collaboration with UDWI embodies our commitment to bridging the digital divide and empowering every individual with the transformative potential of connectivity.”
Mainstream will also work on behalf of UDWI to secure broadband development grant funding through federal and state government programs.
“This strategic partnership will allow Mainstream and UDWI to utilize the electric distribution infrastructure already in place to significantly reduce the cost of building a fiber network,” said UDWI CEO Doug Childs. “This project will substantially improve the quality of life for all of our members, and confirms our dedication to finding efficient pathways to increase fiber access across our service territory.”
According to Mainstream, construction could begin as early as the second quarter of 2024. Each backbone project will be completed within a year. The entire project is anticipated to take about five years to complete.
More information on Mainstream can be found at www.msfiber.com. To learn more about UDWI REMC, visit www.udwiremc.com.
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About Mainstream Fiber Networks Founded in Nashville, Indiana, Mainstream Fiber Networks is a Fiber to the Premise (FTTP) internet service provider that understands the need for affordable, high-speed internet in Indiana’s rural communities. Mainstream’s success is based on its customer satisfaction and its partnership with the local communities we serve. To learn more, visit www.msfiber.net.
Utilities District of Western Indiana REMC (UDWI REMC) located in Bloomfield, Ind., is an electric utility cooperative that serves nearly 16,000 members in Clay, Daviess, Greene, Knox, Lawrence, Martin, Monroe, Owen, Putnam, Sullivan and Vigo counties and maintains over 2,000 miles of line.
BLOOMFIELD, Ind. (April 26, 2023) — The Utilities District of Western Indiana REMC held its 87th annual meeting Tuesday at the cooperative’s headquarters and renewed its slate of officers for its Board of Directors.
Two new directors, Melinda Hendrix, District 4 and David Kirkling, District 1 joined the eight member board, which includes Todd Carpenter, District 2 (re-elected for his third term), Edward Cullison (President), Dax Collins (Vice President), Michael Williams (Treasurer), Sophie Haywood (Secretary), and Shawn Dugan.
“I am honored to be part of the UDWI board and I hope to continue the great work the board has achieved in the last few years,” said Cullison. “As a group, we are aware of the current challenges of reliable power and supply issues, along with controlling expenses, and we will work to stay ahead of them.”
Although this year’s seats were uncontested, the cooperative bylaws require candidates to receive a mandated number of votes from the membership in order to validate the election. UDWI members had the opportunity to cast their votes online or by mail before the annual meeting or in person at the annual meeting, which again produced strong voter participation with more than 1,500 votes cast, accounting for nearly 10 percent of UDWI members.
UDWI CEO Doug Childs’ annual meeting presentation focused on ‘Facing the Future’ and covered a variety of topics including capital improvements, vegetation management, employee accomplishments, and mitigating higher power costs.
Top priorities for the cooperative in 2023 will focus on replacing/improving aging infrastructure and minimizing the impact of high power supply costs. The cooperative plans to replace between 25 and 30 miles of aging conductor in 2023, approaching UDWI’s all-time annual record.
“We were able to replace nearly 800 utility poles last year and that shows the great work we are getting from our employees and contractors. This work is integral to improving our system reliability,” said Childs. “We’ve tripled our progress from about 10 years ago and we will continue investing in our infrastructure.”
UDWI continues investing in its employees, who recorded over 1,250 hours in training for job skills and safety. These trainings included Hoosier Energy Apprenticeship, Training and Safety (HEATS), Climbing and Advanced Climbing School Programs, and live line pole-top demonstrations.
Childs also shared the co-op’s commitment to its community. In 2022, UDWI’s Community Fund awarded over $55,000 across 40 charitable organizations throughout the cooperative’s service territory. The group prioritizes funding charities that feed the hungry or assist veterans in UDWI’s 11 counties. In addition, UDWI was able to issue 12,600 capital credit checks, returning over $950,000 to its members.
“Returning capital credits is one of the least talked about things cooperatives do, but it’s one of the most important,” said Childs. “2022 was a record year for us in returning capital credits and we will continue this effort.”
Childs discussed UDWI’s response to higher power supply costs, which includes contract flexibility with Hoosier Energy to try to help mitigate some of the coming increases. The cooperative will also run its business as tight as it can to minimize as much cost as possible, help educate members on how to wisely use energy and save it when they can, and advocate legislatively for policies that will help energy affordability through the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and Indiana Electric Cooperatives.
In addition, Childs discussed the current projects under development in the WestGate area, including housing and microelectronics investments. These projects are estimated to bring over 500 jobs to the area, and UDWI needs to make sure it can keep up with the project from a capital perspective and act as a partner to these companies as they grow and develop.
Childs’ presentation is available on the UDWI website. The Board of Directors will hold its first meeting of the new term on Monday, April 24 at 6:30 p.m.
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Utilities District of Western Indiana REMC (UDWI REMC) located in Bloomfield, Ind., is an electric utility cooperative that serves nearly 16,000 members in Clay, Daviess, Greene, Knox, Lawrence, Martin, Monroe, Owen, Putnam, Sullivan and Vigo counties and maintains over 2,000 miles of line.
The Utilities District of Western Indiana REMC recently conducted a live-line safety demonstration for Smithville crews in Ellettsville.
The safety demonstration provided Smithville’s crews with several examples of the potential hazards posed by contact with live high-voltage lines and how to safely work around them.
UDWI crews used a live line display during the event, which included a small-scale representation of the equipment UDWI uses in the field. The training equips line workers with the knowledge of how to handle downed power lines and the steps they need to follow during an emergency.
“We are thankful for the partnership with UDWI and their willingness to provide a live line demo to our crews,” said Collin Newcomb, Environmental Health and Safety Manager at Smithville. “It was an important reminder of the potential dangers of high-voltage lines and the various safety protocols to follow when working near them.”
The event was conducted by UDWI team members, Britt Miller (Dispatch Manager) and Michael Nail, and Will Padgett (Journeyman Linemen).
“UDWI has worked hard to be in the position to offer training to others in our community and we take that responsibility very seriously,” said Miller. “We are always looking for new opportunities to engage with the public on safety training and want to thank Smithville for taking the time to let us present to their crews.”
Education, Training, and Information is one of the 7 Cooperative Principles and a top priority for the UDWI team. The co-op has had great success keeping employees and members safe through completing various training and educational programs.
Over the last few years, UDWI has provided public safety training and education to law enforcement, firefighters, EMC personnel, and dispatchers in and around its service territory. In 2018, UDWI developed its own training yard to host training for its own team and other co-ops in the area.
UDWI completed 35 safety training classes, totaling nearly 900 hours in 2022. The cooperative also performed three public safety demonstrations for around 400 people.
“This collaboration with local communications providers is a top priority to ensure the safety of all crews that interact with live electric lines,” said Doug Childs, UDWI CEO. “Public safety is a top priority for UDWI and we will continue to serve our community and members by offering training to interested organizations.”
If your organization is interested in receiving a safety demonstration from UDWI, please contact the office at (812) 384-4446 to schedule a training. To view a video of this live demo or learn more about training opportunities, visit the UDWI website at: www.udwiremc.com/my-services/safety-and-conservation/onsite-safety-yard.
