Claiborne Electric uses specialized contract companies to help complete parts of our annual construction and right-of-way maintenance program in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

Several of those companies are currently working throughout Claiborne Electric’s service territory on different projects. These workers are each doing important work to keep the cooperative functioning as safely and efficiently as possible. We ask members to be courteous and respectful as they come into contact with representatives of these contract companies.

Currently, Claiborne Electric has contractors working on projects in these areas:

• Osmose is conducting pole inspections in north Webster Parish near the Shongaloo area.
• Koppers is working on pole inspections in the Heflin and Regency areas of Webster Parish.
• Good Hope is working on tree trimming in the Point area of Union Parish
• Shelton Energy Solutions is line construction contractor working near Minden in Webster Parish and between Ruston and Grambling in Lincoln Parish.
• LineTec Services is a line construction contractor working near Choudrant in Lincoln Parish.

If a member ever has questions about a vehicle or contractor representatives in their area, we ask them to contact their local Claiborne Electric office at (318) 927-3504 or (318) 368-3011.

Nominations for Directors in three of Claiborne Electric’s districts will open during the month of January.

Members in Districts Three, Seven, and Eight may nominate a member from that district for election at the 2026 Annual Meeting. Nominations will be open for the entire month of January and are due by close-of-business on the last business day of the month (January 30, 2026).

Kenneth Franklin of Marion currently represents District 3, Phillip Fincher of Homer currently represents District 7, and Lane Davidson of Minden currently represents District 8.

Article IV, Section 4 of Claiborne Electric’s Bylaws specifies how candidates for Director can be nominated:

“Nomination

Any three (3) members of record living within a district and acting together, may make a nomination for the Director from that district in writing during the month of January. Nominations will be due by close of business on the last business day of January. The Secretary shall post such nominations at the principal office of the Cooperative in both Union and Claiborne Parishes. If only one nomination is submitted, the Board of Directors will declare the nominated candidate as the winner and shall not hold an election for that district. If no nominations are submitted, the seat will be considered a vacancy and will be handled according to Article IV, Section 6 of these bylaws.”

For specific information on districts or election rules, please reference Claiborne Electric’s Bylaws. Bylaws pertaining to districts and director elections can be found in Article IV of the Bylaws. A complete district map and district descriptions can be found here.

In the electric utility rate comparisons released by the Louisiana Public Service Commission (LPSC) for the month of December, Claiborne Electric has some of the lowest electric rates among all providers in the state.

The LPSC regulates all electric cooperatives and investor-owned electric utilities in Louisiana. In December’s electric utility rate comparison, only five companies had rates slightly lower than Claiborne Electric. All five of these companies are our sister cooperatives in other parts of the state. Claiborne Electric’s rates are significantly lower than the investor-owned utilities across the entire state.

In December, Claiborne Electric members using an average of 1,000 kWh per month were billed $126.50. In comparison, the same bill would be $135.74 for an Entergy customer, $147.06 for a SWEPCO customer, and $149.49 for a CLECO customer.

One kWh is equal to using 1,000 watts of electricity for 60 minutes. At Claiborne Electric, each kWh costs members about 12.7 cents. Claiborne Electric’s members are only paying a few cents more for a kWh of electricity than 20 years ago. In comparison, think about the cost of eggs, bread, coffee, medicine, gasoline, or a vehicle 20 years ago compared to today. Where other goods and necessities have doubled, tripled, or even more in price, electricity has held its value and remained similar in price per kWh for decades.

The cost per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity has risen slower than any other household commodity for decades, making electricity an excellent household value. With electricity required for heating, cooling, lighting, cleaning, cooking, refrigeration, working, entertainment, transportation, and communication, there is barely a part of life that does not require electrification.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates Americans will end the year using more than four billion kWh. Clearly, energy consumption shows no signs of slowing down. We encourage members to remember the value electricity holds with each flip of a switch, press of a button, and charge of a phone. Claiborne Electric’s free SmartHub app is a great resource for monitoring electric usage.

At Claiborne Electric, we are always looking out for members by working to keep electric bills affordable and service reliable. For more information on lowering electric consumption and using energy more wisely, please contact a local Claiborne Electric office.