Mar 22 - The Sun Herald (Biloxi, Miss.)

Coast Electric Power Association has a satellite phone system in place and is stabilizing its line system in preparation for hurricane season.

Its network is especially vulnerable to high winds because it serves 90 percent of the land mass in Hancock, Harrison and Pearl River counties, including heavily wooded rural areas. Mississippi Power serves more-populated areas.

Coast Electric executives said they are proud of how their employees responded to Hurricane Katrina. They restored all power in Harrison County by Sept. 15, in Hancock County by Sept. 17 and Pearl River County by Sept. 19.

"Not only do we serve a much greater geographic area, our density is considerably less," said Robert Occhi, general manager of Coast Electric.

Crews repaired or replaced 30,000 poles and 7,500 transformers and used six million feet of wire in restoring power.

A survey by NRECA Market Research determined that 65 percent of the electrical cooperative's customers gave it an excellent rating for its response to the hurricane.

The electric cooperative had about $85 million in expenses related to the hurricane, but will be reimbursed about 75 percent of the cost by FEMA, Occhi said. Coast Electric has raised its base rate by $1.85 a month to help recover costs. Other rate hikes have been pass-through costs because of higher energy prices.

Lineworkers are currently checking the network for leaning poles, sagging lines, dead trees and dangling limbs.

Tom Wilemon can be reached at 896-2354 or tewilemon@sunherald.com

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Sun Herald, Biloxi, Miss.

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