All About Relationships

Providing low-cost, reliable power means more than just getting the job done right. For Old Dominion Electric Cooperative, it means making friends.

By Don Hampton

Deregulation may have been a dirty word for many utility companies, but for Old Dominion it meant opportunity. Because Old Dominion Electric Cooperative had a long history of reliability and strong relationships with customers, the company recognized deregulation would provide the chance to convert skeptics into friends. And that's exactly what they're doing.

By providing reliable, cost-effective energy and outstanding customer service, Old Dominion is finding it easy to change the way people in the Mid-South think about utility companies. As a result, the electric cooperative's service area is increasingly appealing for corporate location and expansion.

Always unbundled

With more than 60 years in the industry, Old Dominion is a recognized name in energy. But deregulation has brought opportunities that were previously not possible even for such a well-known name.

"Unbundling" has become a popular, though not necessarily well-received word in utilities circles these days. It refers to the necessity of utility companies segmenting their services and price scales to fit the various customer groups they have.

Many companies must spend large amounts of money and time researching their business segments, so that they can offer what they believe are attractive pricing and service plans to meet those customers' needs.

But Old Dominion has always operated within this structure, able to provide different pricing plans for each business segment and tracking costs for each on a separate basis. Because they have operated this way for years, Old Dominion is able to track distribution and generation, and then create the best plans for each segment based upon real data gathered over time.

The 12 distribution cooperative members provide power for more than 40 percent of the landmass of Virginia and 80 percent of Delaware and Maryland. And more than half the world's Internet traffic passes through the Old Dominion service area.

Growing with business

The Mid-South is a hotbed for development. Many companies are finding this area perfect not only for doing business, but also for raising families. It's a region steeped in history and tradition, but with a real sense of the modern. Accessibility to major urban areas like Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Baltimore is also attractive.

Old Dominion recognizes the fact that its potential customer base will only continue to grow. And Old Dominion continues to take steps toward making service more effective, reasonably priced and available. To accomplish this, the cooperative has committed to building gas-fired combustion turbine units at three locations in the region. These new facilities will increase the company's ability to provide power effectively during peak periods.

"You just have to understand how to work with businesses," said David Hudgins, director of the economic development department for Old Dominion. "Listen to what they're saying. Don't have prejudgments of what they want. Get a feel for exactly what they're looking for and then let them know how you can help them get there."

In the case of Old Dominion, it's all just part of making friends.

For more information on Old Dominion Electric Cooperative, contact David Hudgins at 804-968-4068 (dhudgins@odec.com) or go to www.odec-ed.com.