KYLE MURPHYStaff Writer

Earlier this month, the Tullahoma Utilities Authority celebrated the 37^th annual Public Power Week by inviting customers and residents to its campus for its Public Power Week celebration event.

The celebration free for the public to attend and enjoy pizza, ice cream and drinks while taking part in various fun and educational activities. The activities TUA offered to attendees included bucket truck rides, which lifted visitors 50 feet in the air, prize wheels, carnival games like ring toss and duck pond and a bouncy house.

Part of the celebration was a several live electric line demonstrations showcasing the safety aspects of working around energized power system, which was held during different intervals in the day. Kyle Riddle, TUA General Foreman-Operations for the electric department, led the demonstrations as some of TUA’s senior linemen showed different situations that the TUA linemen may encounter while on the job. These scenarios included what could happen when an animal makes contact with a transformer, a ladder making contact with the power lines, when a power line hits a car and a person touches the car and when an underground line is hit when a person digs before checking to see where utility lines are located underground. Those digging are urged to call 811 first.

TUA President Brian Skelton said the event is a way to say “thank you” to the customers.

“Public power systems are owned by the people, owned by the local governments that they serve,” he said. “They are locally controlled with decisions made in Tullahoma and not in Nashville, not in D.C. and not in Atlanta. This is just a celebration of public power and everything good about it.”

Skelton added that the celebration event saw a great turnout, as TUA almost always have the event on the Thursday before Tullahoma City Schools students go on fall break. He also praised the TUA employees for their part in helping keep the lights on for the city and customers. 

“We appreciate our employees who keep the lights on in Tullahoma, and do a great job with keeping good reliability for our customers and almost all of them are pleased with that,” Skelton said. 

Prior to the celebration, Mayor Ray Knowis presented TUA with a proclamation recognizing Public Power Week from Oct. 1 through 7 to celebrate TUA’s year round service to the community.

“Tullahoma Utilities Authority is a valuable community asset that contributes substantially to the well-being of local citizens through energy efficiency, customer service, community support, economic development and safety awareness,” Knowis said. “Tullahoma Utilities Authority is a dependable and trustworthy institution whose local operation provides many customer protections and continues to make our community a better place in which to live and work.”

TUA currently serves over 11,000 subscribers within the city limits of Tullahoma, with some customers outside the limits, and provides utilities like electric, water and wastewater, as well as providing TV, phone and internet services. TUA operates three substations in Tullahoma, 200 miles of overhead powerlines and 75 miles of underground power lines.

TUA offices are open 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, with technical service available 24 hours a day. For more information, call 931-455-4515 or visit tullahomautilities.com.