In today’s connected world, the expectations of our membership have changed dramatically. Reliable electric service is no longer a luxury but an essential part of daily life, and Henry County REMC remains dedicated to increasing reliability across the distribution system.
Major investments of time and resources have the vegetation management, pole testing, inspection, and maintenance programs running as aggressively as ever, and the plan is to continue those efforts throughout 2025. Last year, we completed rigorous maintenance projects and tree clearing along 92 miles of line in the areas fed by our Anderson/Middletown Substation. This year, we will do the same along all lines fed by the New Castle South and Springport substations. Consumers and property owners in those areas can expect to see an increased presence of HCREMC employees and contractors in the coming months. Concerns or questions about tree work can be directed to Mark Bauman at 765-422-1134.
Additionally, the HCREMC construction work plan calls for approximately 30 miles of existing lines to be rebuilt, upgraded, or converted to underground on an annual basis. HCREMC staff prioritize lines based on several factors, but reliability is always at the forefront when selecting projects. An updated map of these large-scale construction projects is available at hcremc.com, and any questions can be directed to Heath Hudnut by calling 765-422-1136. These projects are scattered across our system in 2025, but the areas to be impacted the most with construction efforts are near the Harrisburg Substation and west of the Springport Substation.
A large component of improving reliability is to outright prevent outage quantities, of course, but we also hold ourselves to high standards when it comes to reducing the quantity of meters impacted when an outage does occur. We do this through strategic coordination. Our line crews take pride in their work, particularly when it comes to ensuring quick and efficient restoral times. We are constantly looking for ways to improve our sectionalizing capabilities and our response times.
Improvements in all these areas have been priorities in recent years and the measurable results have been significant increases in reliability across the overall HCREMC footprint. While the improved service is something to be proud of, HCREMC’s employees will not rest on these accomplishments. The momentum, diligence, and commitment to continuous improvement are a part of who we are, and we will work throughout the year to provide the best service we can. Our membership had power 99.961% of the time in 2024, but we know we can do even better, and we’ll be working as hard as ever to make sure that happens.
