Cooperative Alabama

Joe Wheeler Elec Member Corp

374min
SAIDI 2023
2.74
SAIFI 2023
45,524
Customers

What This Utility Data Tells You

Joe Wheeler Elec Member Corp is a member-owned electric cooperative operating in Alabama under EIA identifier 9739. It reports service to approximately 45,524 customer accounts and generated about $0.17 billion in annual electric revenue, with a service footprint spanning 34 ZIP codes. As a cooperative, its governance is accountable to its ratepayer-members rather than shareholders, which often shapes rate-setting and reinvestment priorities.

In 2023, the average Joe Wheeler Elec Member Corp customer experienced 373.8 minutes of power interruptions — a metric called SAIDI (System Average Interruption Duration Index). That is substantially above the 120–180 minute national benchmark, indicating either storm-prone geography, aging infrastructure, or extended restoration windows. SAIFI — the average number of outage events per customer — was 2.74 for the same period, so customers statistically faced roughly 3 distinct interruptions that year. Excluding major event days (hurricanes, ice storms), SAIDI drops to 354.6 minutes — the gap between that figure and the headline 373.8 reveals how much weather, not day-to-day infrastructure, drove outages.

The EIA dataset includes 4 years of continuous reporting (2020–2023) for Joe Wheeler Elec Member Corp, which lets you see whether reliability is trending up or down rather than judging from a single snapshot. SAIDI has increased from 130.8 to 373.8 minutes, which may reflect either worsening weather exposure or delayed grid modernization. All figures on this page come directly from EIA Form 861, the federal annual electric power industry survey, with service territory ZIPs sourced from OpenEI — you can cross-reference them with your own utility bill or use them when comparing providers before relocating.

SAIDI

374 min per year

Average outage minutes (2023)

SAIFI

2.74 interruptions/yr

Outage frequency (2023)

Customers

45,524

Served in Alabama

SAIDI vs. National Average (180 min) 93.5%

374 minutes per customer per year

Joe Wheeler Elec Member Corp SAIDI

Minutes without power per year (2023)

374 SAIDI374 SAIDINat. avg 120120SAIDI374SAIDI

Below Average

Reliability Trend (2020–2023)

Year SAIDI (min) SAIDI nMED SAIFI Customers
2020 130.8 130.8 1.550
2021 166.2 127.8 1.760
2022 176.0 137.1 2.600
2023 373.8 354.6 2.740

SAIDI nMED = SAIDI without major event days. Source: EIA Form 861.

Service Area

Joe Wheeler Elec Member Corp serves 34 ZIP codes in Alabama.

35019350573505835175351793554035553355653560135603356113561835619356213562235640356433564535646356503565135652356533565435661356703567135672356733575435756357753580335824

Frequently Asked Questions

How reliable is Joe Wheeler Elec Member Corp?

Joe Wheeler Elec Member Corp had a SAIDI of 373.8 minutes in 2023, meaning the average customer experienced about 374 minutes of outages that year. This is above the national average, indicating below-average reliability.

What type of utility is Joe Wheeler Elec Member Corp?

Joe Wheeler Elec Member Corp is classified as a Cooperative serving Alabama. Electric cooperatives are member-owned nonprofit utilities, typically serving rural areas.

What does SAIDI mean for Joe Wheeler Elec Member Corp?

SAIDI (System Average Interruption Duration Index) measures the average total minutes per year that a customer of Joe Wheeler Elec Member Corp experiences power outages. A lower SAIDI indicates better reliability. The national average is roughly 120-180 minutes per year, so comparing Joe Wheeler Elec Member Corp's SAIDI to that benchmark shows whether this utility is above or below average.

How many customers does Joe Wheeler Elec Member Corp serve?

Joe Wheeler Elec Member Corp serves approximately 45,524 customers in Alabama. Customer count can affect reliability metrics because larger utilities may face different infrastructure challenges compared to smaller ones.

How has Joe Wheeler Elec Member Corp's reliability changed over time?

Joe Wheeler Elec Member Corp has 4 years of reliability data (2020-2023). SAIDI has remained relatively stable over this period. Review the trend table above for year-by-year detail.

What is SAIDI without major event days?

SAIDI "without major event days" (SAIDI nMED) excludes outages caused by hurricanes, ice storms, and other catastrophic weather events. It better reflects day-to-day infrastructure reliability rather than vulnerability to extreme weather. Both standard SAIDI and SAIDI nMED are shown in the reliability trend table above.

Utility Profile

Type
Cooperative
State
Alabama
Customers
45,524
Annual Revenue
$0.17B
EIA ID
9739
Data Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration Form 861 annual electric power industry survey. ZIP service territory from OpenEI.

Related

Data sourced from official EIA reliability statistics and OpenEI utility rate database. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainUtility Editorial

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Form 861. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.