HUNTINGDON, Tenn. — Carroll County Electric Department approved a $1,000 gold-level sponsorship of the Battle of the Badge event at the Carroll County Shooting Sports Park, with all proceeds benefiting the Tennessee Public Safety Network and the Shooting Sports Park, both 501(c)(3) organizations.
The sponsorship carries personal significance for the department.
“This is kind of tender to us,” said General Manager Ryan Drewry. “They came in and conducted the debriefing session at no cost to us for our staff after the accident when we lost Chance (Carlton) last year, and as a show of appreciation for them coming in, our recommendation would be to do a gold-level sponsorship.”
The board approved the sponsorship unanimously.
Insurance Renewals Approved
The board approved two insurance renewals for the coverage period beginning August 1.
Jacob Smothers of Huntingdon Insurance joined the meeting remotely to present the TVPPA/Distributors Insurance Program proposal for the department’s property-casualty coverages.
The renewal came in at a 3% overall increase — 2% from the actual rate increase, with the remaining 1% attributed to added equipment and increased coverage values.
Smothers said workers’ compensation rates are holding steady or declining, and general liability went down despite higher revenues and assets.
The primary driver of the increase was auto liability, which he said is an industry-wide trend.
Drewry added that the department adjusted property values upward for substations, truck-mounted equipment, and catastrophic auto physical damage to reflect current replacement costs, given continued price pressures on substation transformers.
The board also renewed its cyber coverage insurance policy through Cowbell, which provides $1 million in coverage with a $5,000 deductible. The renewal included a slight increase, but Drewry noted the department is still well ahead of where it was.
Smothers said the cyber insurance market has stabilized compared to a few years ago.
“The cyber market has calmed down a little bit,” he said. “A few years ago, it was very unstable with the attacks and the hacks. They’re still happening, but I think the management of those attacks and how people are approaching the back end of it — the market has restabilized a little bit.”
Both renewals passed unanimously.
Leach Substation Update
Drewry reported that the 13kV breakers for the Leach Substation were, joining the 161kV breakers that arrived on June 30.
Both sets of equipment are being stored at the department’s yard until the site is ready.
Site work by DC Construction has three to four weeks remaining, with weather continuing to slow progress.
An oil containment tank is expected to be installed within the next two to three weeks. Foundation work will begin once the site work is complete.
Solar Event and Grid Modernization
The department has set a date for the flip-the-switch event at the Silicon Ranch solar site in Trezevant.
The ceremony is targeted for September 10 at 10 a.m.
Drewry also told the board that the department has been working on a grid modernization project since February.
“We got more to come on that,” Drewry said.
He anticipates providing a full update at the next meeting.
The board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for August 27 at 2:30 p.m.