01
Keep the lights on
Crews on call around the clock across seven parishes, with mutual-aid agreements for storm season.
Reliability report →Member-owned since 1938
Powering the prairie,
owned by the people on it.
41,000 meters across seven parishes, and not one shareholder. Every dollar above cost comes back to the members who paid it.
41,208
meters served
$688M
local economic impact
6,940
miles of line maintained
99.98%
reliability, trailing 12 months
What we do
Five jobs, every day
02
Bill fairly
Not-for-profit rates reviewed annually and published in full. No shareholder margin built into what you pay.
Rate schedules →03
Return the margins
Revenue above cost is allocated back to members as capital credits. $1.9M is going out this November.
How credits work →04
Build the grid out
Line extensions to new construction, and the long rural runs an investor-owned utility would not build.
Request an extension →05
Speak for members
Representation at the Public Service Commission and the legislature on rates, right-of-way and storm cost recovery.
Advocacy →Member lookup
Find your cooperative
Seven parishes, four distribution co-ops. Pick yours to see who serves you, current outages, and the number to call at 2am.
Pick a parish and the details show up here.
Publications
Bayou Prairie Currents
Mailed to every member household, eleven times a year. Back issues going to 2009.
Common questions
Things members ask
What does "member-owned" actually mean?
If you take power from us, you are an owner, not a customer. You get a vote at the annual meeting, and any revenue above operating cost is allocated back to you as capital credits rather than paid to shareholders.
Why is my bill higher in January than in July?
Heating load. Most homes here run heat strips or a heat pump, and a cold snap can double consumption in a week. Budget billing spreads the year into twelve even payments if you'd rather not ride the swings.
How long does restoration take after a hurricane?
Transmission and substations first, then main lines, then the taps that serve neighbourhoods, then individual services. It is not first-come — it is the order that restores the most members per crew hour.
Can I put solar on my roof?
Yes. You'll need an interconnection agreement and an inspection before it energises. Bring us the plan before you sign a contract with an installer — we will tell you honestly what it will and won't save you.
Who do I call about a tree in the right of way?
Call us, not a tree service. Anything within ten feet of an energised line is ours to cut, at no charge to you.
Careers
Line work pays, and it stays
Four-year apprenticeship, journeyman scale after, and a pension that still exists. We hire locally and we train from zero — most of our crew started with no experience and a clean driving record.
- Apprentice linemanOpelousas
- Journeyman linemanAbbeville
- Member services repCrowley
- GIS technicianOpelousas