East Mississippi Electric Power Association

The section includes information about the EMEPA Board of Directors and history of the Association. This section will also give you an opportunity to provide feedback on the site. EMEPA serves over 37,000 member families in East Mississippi and has for 77 years. We continue to provide reliable and affordable service while investing in our community to improve the quality of life for everyone in East Mississippi.

The EMEPA electric distribution system is like no other in the United States. We actually operate two separate rural electric distribution systems. Both are non-profit, consumer-owned cooperatives. They are operated and governed by the same employees, management, directors and bylaws. By an act of the U. S. Congress our service area north of the Kemper/Lauderdale line is served with power from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). Anyplace south of this line is served with power purchased on a wholesale basis from the Mississippi Power Company and the Southeastern Power Administration.

TVA is a federally owned corporation and operates under regulations and policies somewhat different from private power companies. In some instances, this requires North and South systems to operate under different practices and procedures. But no matter where they live on the EMEPA system, all members have the same rights and responsibilities.

Mission Statement

EMEPA’S mission is to enhance our members’ lifestyle and standard of living. Our core business is providing valued electric services as we seek new opportunities to serve our community.

Code of Ethics

History teaches us no free society can long survive without an ethical foundation.

We, the employees of EMEPA, understand ethics as accepted moral principles and values, and recognize ethical behavior as beneficial to the individual and to society. We further recognize that if we are to preserve our free society, and our self-government, we must preserve the ethical order of that society. In support of our free society, our self-government and our heritage of ethical and moral conduct, we mutually pledge:

1. To conduct ourselves both personally and professionally in accordance with ethical standards.
2. To be guided in all our activities by ethical standards of truth, fairness and honesty.
3. To take no action that would influence another into unethical conduct.
4. To be loyal to our members and fellow employees and to work within these rules, regulations and principles.
5. To give a full day’s labor for a full day’s pay.
6. To refrain from dispensing special favors or privileges, and to refrain from accepting favors or benefits under circumstances which might be construed by reasonable persons as influencing the performance of our duties.
7. To treat fairly all fellow citizens, members, employees and competitors.
8. To refrain from using confidential information gained in the performance of duties and a means for personal gain.
9. To present, based on current information, a true and accurate representation of our products and services so as not to mislead.
10. To be ever mindful that a cooperative office is a cooperative trust.

How EMEPA Came to Exist

In this part of the country, before 1938 only people who lived in the city had electric power. That year a group of concerned, forward thinking rural citizens joined together to form a non-profit consumer-owned electric distribution cooperative. It was dedicated to bringing power to the rural areas, to providing the best service possible and doing it without making a profit from the users. The members, through the Board of Directors they elected, would control the Association for the common good.

EMEPA is the organization they designed and we still hold fast to the founding principles. The changes? We have evolved into a much larger, progressive organization making the best use of modern technology and practices. Our 36,000 member families, churches and businesses still come first – that has never changed and never will.

We serve Clarke, Lauderdale, Kemper and Winston counties and portions of several adjacent counties. With the exceptions of Scooba, DeKalb, and Noxapater, EMEPA serves members mainly outside city limits.