Benton County Electric System

Benton County Electric System Benton County Electric System has been serving our customers since 1940. The first members of the Board were R. A. Swindell, J. V. Walker, H. B. Pafford, L. N.
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The first Benton County Board of Public Utilities was appointed on October 3, 1938, at the regular monthly meeting of the Benton County Quarterly Court. Peebles and as a representative of the Court, John Pennick. The Board was formed under the jurisdiction of Chapter 32 of the Public Acts of 1935. A public election had been held on October 1, 1938, to give the Quarterly Court authority to form the

Board of Public Utilities with 1580 people voting for and 127 voting against. This first Board negotiated for the purchase of Tennessee Light and Power for $52,500 and ownership of the Electric Plant was transferred on April 22, 1940. Tennessee Light and Power began distribution of electricity in Benton County in 1926. Today, the Benton County Board of Public Utilities supervises the operation of an electric plant with assets of more than $29,000,000 and 10,500 customers. There are 39 people employed by the Board with the everyday management left to the General Manager, Scott Owens. The Board meets regularly in public meetings on the last Tuesday of each month @ 3:30pm. While the System is still the Benton County Board of Public Utilities most people just refer to it as Benton County Electric System. BCES BOARD MEETING PUBLIC FORUM POLICY
Customers of Benton County Electric System may speak and offer comments during a meeting of the BCES board. To request to speak, a customer may contact BCES by calling 731-584-8251 Ext. 309 or by emailing [email protected] before 12:00 pm on the business day before the scheduled meeting and provide their name, service address, phone number, and the topic they would like to bring before the Board. The allotted time for the public forum will be 30 (thirty) minutes and each customer will have an allotted time of 5 (five) minutes per speaker or a time limit as determined by the Chairman of the Board. Although there have been many changes throughout the years, our goal now is the same as it was in 1940, to serve the people of Benton County. TVA Complaint Resolution Process

TVA provides regulatory oversight for your local power company's rates and service practice policies. If you have an issue or complaint that you have not been able to resolve with Benton County Electric, TVA's Complaint Resolution Process may be able to help. There are three ways to begin the process

Online: www.tva.com/complaintresolution

E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 1-888-289-8409

09/03/2026
Labor Day Holiday NoticeBenton County Electric System will be closed Monday, September 7, 2026, in observance of Labor D...
09/03/2026

Labor Day Holiday Notice

Benton County Electric System will be closed Monday, September 7, 2026, in observance of Labor Day. Our offices will reopen on Tuesday, September 8, at 7:00 a.m.

Pay As You Go and service disconnects will remain disabled through Monday, September 7, and will resume Tuesday, September 8.

Our 24/7 Emergency Dispatch Service remains available at 731-584-8251.

We wish everyone a safe and happy Labor Day weekend!

Benton County Electric System
Powering the Foundation of Our Community

📢 BCES Surplus Items Up for Auction!Benton County Electric System currently has surplus items available through GovDeals...
09/02/2026

📢 BCES Surplus Items Up for Auction!

Benton County Electric System currently has surplus items available through GovDeals.

Browse our current auctions here: https://www.govdeals.com/en/bcestn

If you have any questions about the listed items, please contact our Warehouse Supervisor at 731-584-7381.

Benton County Electric System

🚨 Important Notice 🚨Due to the high heat index forecasted for our area, BCES will temporarily disable Pay As You Go disc...
08/31/2026

🚨 Important Notice 🚨

Due to the high heat index forecasted for our area, BCES will temporarily disable Pay As You Go disconnects and regular service disconnects beginning Monday, August 31, through Monday, September 7, 2026. Disconnects will resume Tuesday, September 8, 2026.

This means that if your Pay As You Go account runs low or out of funds, your electric service will not be disconnected during this time. This precaution is being taken to help protect our community during this period of dangerous heat.

With the heat index expected to remain high, please remember to stay safe:

• Stay hydrated
• Limit outdoor activities during the hottest parts of the day
• Wear light clothing and take breaks in the shade or air conditioning
• Check on neighbors, especially the elderly or those without air conditioning
• Never leave children or pets in vehicles

Your safety is our top priority. Please continue to take care of yourselves and one another during this period of extreme heat.

Benton County Electric System
Powering the Foundation of Our Community

Congratulations Brittany Corbitt, BCES Customer Service Manager, on 11 years with Benton County Electric System!For 11 y...
08/31/2026

Congratulations Brittany Corbitt, BCES Customer Service Manager, on 11 years with Benton County Electric System!

For 11 years, Brittany has been a familiar face and an important part of BCES, helping take care of our customers and keeping our Customer Service team moving forward.

We are incredibly grateful for her dedication, hard work, and the care she brings to our customers and our team every day.

Thank you, Brittany, for 11 great years of service to BCES and our community! We are proud to have you on our team!

Benton County Electric System
Powering the Foundation of Our Community

Congratulations Adam Taylor, Journeyman Lineman, on 5 years with Benton County Electric System!Adam is an important part...
08/31/2026

Congratulations Adam Taylor, Journeyman Lineman, on 5 years with Benton County Electric System!

Adam is an important part of BCES, and we are grateful for his hard work, dedication, and commitment to serving our customers and community every day.

Thank you, Adam, for everything you do! Here’s to many more years of keeping the lights on and Powering the Foundation of Our Community!

Benton County Electric System
Powering the Foundation of Our Community

Board Highlights August 25, 2026From the Desk of Scott Owens, General Manager **Official minutes will be on file followi...
08/28/2026

Board Highlights August 25, 2026

From the Desk of Scott Owens, General Manager

**Official minutes will be on file following approval at the next Board meeting.***

The Board approved the minutes of the previous meeting.
During the public forum, a former employee spoke concerning a termination.
The Board approved the financial report.
BCES is in the first month(JULY), or 1/12th, of the new budget year and would therefore be expected to be pacing at approximately 8.33% of budget at this point.
• Revenue: 9.65%
• Total Operation and Maintenance Expenses: 8.30%
• Plant Spending: 3.20%
Plant spending is currently below budget as we remain focused primarily on maintenance of the electric system. We have also experienced a surge in new service installations.

I noted that BCES received an LPC Energy Right Reward Credit for projects that improved energy efficiency and energy use within our service territory.
We also received our replacement skid steer Bush Hog head, which was a budgeted item. The previous unit was completely worn out and had been rebuilt several times.

Work to repair the equipment storage shed is also nearly complete. After FEMA/TEMA determined their contribution toward the insurance deductible, BCES pursued additional mitigation funding. The entire equipment shed was repaired, and a solid concrete footer was poured around the structure and its poles to help prevent similar damage from future ice loading. The building utilizes metal trusses. After FEMA reimbursement, the entire project is expected to cost BCES approximately $5,000.

I also noted that BCES had to make an emergency replacement of an air-conditioning unit that failed in July at our East Camden Substation. The failed unit was replaced with a more efficient 3-ton mini-split system, replacing the mobile-style units previously used at the control house. We have seen a significant reduction in energy usage at the East Camden Control House since installing the more energy-efficient units.

I removed the metering charges update from the agenda because we had not yet received all of the necessary pricing.

BCES also updated several employee policies to improve clarification and consistency.
Updates included:
• Drug and Alcohol Policy
• Standby Policy
• Leave Donation Policy
• FMLA Policy, including the removal of internal forms in favor of the standard federal forms
All policy updates were reviewed and approved unanimously by the Board.

With no further business, the Board adjourned.

Benton County Electric System
Powering the Foundation of Our Community

Happy Birthday to BCES Communications Director, Andrew Jones!
08/28/2026

Happy Birthday to BCES Communications Director, Andrew Jones!

Happy Birthday to BCES Employee, Helena Nicholas!
08/25/2026

Happy Birthday to BCES Employee, Helena Nicholas!

📢 Important Reminder from BCES 📢🚨 Pay As You Go & Disconnects Resume TODAY – Monday, August 24th 🚨Due to the extreme hea...
08/24/2026

📢 Important Reminder from BCES 📢

🚨 Pay As You Go & Disconnects Resume TODAY – Monday, August 24th 🚨

Due to the extreme heat over the last 2 weeks, BCES temporarily suspended Pay As You Go and disconnects through Sunday, August 23rd, but normal operations will resume today, Monday, August 24th.

⚠️ Please check your account balance and ensure your payments are up to date to avoid any service interruptions.

We appreciate your attention to this and your continued efforts to stay safe and prepared. If you need assistance or have questions about your account, please contact our office.

Benton County Electric System
Powering the Foundation of Our Community

Address

975 Highway 70 E
Camden, TN
38320

Opening Hours

Monday 7am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 7am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 7am - 4:30pm
Thursday 7am - 4:30pm
Friday 8am - 4:30pm

Telephone

(731) 584-8251

Website

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