Text and photos by Mark Brumley

• Introduction
• Just like home
• Good for truckers and the air
• Praise for Piedmont EMC
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Praise for Piedmont EMC

So, Piedmont Electric officials have a lot of reasons to be proud of their involvement in the IdleAire project in Mebane and to look forward to the expansion of the site. As IdleAire grows in North Carolina, other cooperatives will have the opportunity to serve the sites.

“It’s a good load for our system,” said Bobby Ray, Piedmont Electric’s staking technician. “It’s a wonderful commercial account.”

IdleAire’s John Jones said Piedmont Electric was excellent to work with. He said he’s overseen the construction of IdleAire sites in many states, and not all electrical utilities have been as responsive as Piedmont Electric.

“Where I have my biggest rubs usually is trying to get the power and the telephone lined up,” Jones said. “I can tell you, in dealing with the people out in California and dealing with Piedmont Electric, it’s like night and day. These guys were so cooperative. They were here when they said they would be here. They didn’t show up a week later. The level of service we got from Piedmont Electric, we were just tickled to death.”

The project, which also involved Piedmont Electric construction supervisor Wallace Wilson, called for the cooperative to install a new power pole and transformer for the IdleAire facility. Workers then ran lines about 300 feet under the parking lot from the pole to the transformer. IdleAire took care of boring the underground tunnels. Piedmont Electric officials said that’s just one example of how IdleAire’s advance planning and organization made the company a pleasure to work with. Not all builders are that efficient, they said.

“It worked good for both of us,” said Walter Parker, Piedmont Electric’s engineering supervisor for customer service. “These guys came on board and they had their stuff together.”