EMEPA
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Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, enacted on May 20, 1936, provided federal loans to farmers through the Rural Electrification Administration. The money was for the installation of electrical distribution systems to serve isolated rural areas of the United States. Less than 10 percent of rural Mississippians had electric power because the costs to get electricity to rural areas were prohibitive. The funding was channeled through cooperative electric power companies. Celebrating its 82nd birthday, one of those companies, East Mississippi Electric Power Association, still actively serves our community today.
EMEPA is a not-for-profit, member-owned electric cooperative, operating by the Seven Cooperative Principles. Every consumer who receives power from EMEPA is not a customer, but rather a member with an equal ownership in the cooperative. They are governed by a ten-member Board of Directors voted from and by the membership. EMEPA is locally owned by the people who receive power from the cooperative, rather than investors from outside the local community. EMEPA has 132 employees in four locations; Louisville, DeKalb, Meridian and Quitman, maintaining over 5,700 miles of power lines for 37,000 members.
“Access to reliable electric service is taken for granted in today’s society – until a storm rolls through and we experience a major outage as we did in February. The outpouring of support, encouragement and gratitude we experience in those difficult times help keep our employees going through the long days and hazardous conditions,” says Julie Boles, Director of Marketing and Communication.
“For us, providing great service goes beyond delivering energy; we strengthen the community and empower lives,” says Randy Carroll, CEO. “We believe EMEPA has a responsibility to help drive local 
economic development, an essential element of our operating principles. That’s why we are a part of the chamber. We strive to help stimulate growth and prosperity for our community and improve the quality of life for East Mississippi. We work for the sustainable development of our service area.” EMEPA doesn’t strive to sell more product, they encourage members to use less.
One of the principles of a cooperative is Concern for Community. EMEPA is very active in community service. They try to adopt a monthly project, with employees contributing their time and energy. Relay for Life, Anderson Cancer Patient Benevolence Fund, group homes, Northeast Elementary Landscaping, Animal Shelter, and Jeannie’s Playground are a few of the projects in which they have been involved.
EMEPA’s search for excellence never stops. Randy Carroll, talks about providing broadband for their customers, in the future. “We have completed studies and attended numerous meetings, gathering information from other cooperatives that have successfully entered the broadband business. We are determined that anything we do must be beneficial to the members we serve.”
East Mississippi Power Association – We Love Your Energy!
EMEPA
2128 Hwy 39 North, Meridian