Supporting Innovation In Jackson: JEA’s Contribution To The Future
Consistent with its service mission, Jackson Energy Authority (JEA) continues to develop new ways to support innovation in Jackson. Here at theCO, we are impacted by their innovation as they provide free internet for us, allowing entrepreneurs to have a space dedicated to helping their business grow with fast and reliable wifi. As a customer-owned public utility, JEA combines utilities and broadband services that our community can count on now and in the future, pioneering and encouraging many other avenues for innovation, creativity, and transformative growth in our city.
The EPlus Jackson Connect Project
One of the ways that JEA continues to pour into the city of Jackson is with their EPlus Jackson Connect project that launched in 2020, an initiative created to supply free wifi to various public spaces in the downtown area.
“It was designed for tourists, visitors downtown, or locals that just needed access while they are out and about in the downtown area to be able to connect to wifi,” Kerrie Jones, JEA’s Director of Marketing, said. “There’s different spots available throughout that space and we have information on our website about where that’s available and how to get access.”
The Hub City Innovation Cup
The Hub City Innovation Cup, developed by Union University and sponsored and supported by JEA, is a hack-a-thon-type competition that draws teams from local colleges and universities. Teams are presented with a community challenge and have 24 hours to develop and present a plan to use JEA’s fiber network to help address that specific community need. Presented to a panel of judges, the student teams are given an opportunity to win a share of $5,000.
“One year, a team placed second or third and the city used that concept and applied for a grant. It was wifi access on city buses and they took that project, applied for a grant and went through that process,” Kerrie said.
This is just one of the ways JEA has chosen to invest in younger generations and find existing talent to raise up new leaders who care about enhancing Jackson.
“An added benefit is the next generation of leaders can learn more about the issues and opportunities within their community that they may be unaware of,” Ryan Porter, JEA Senior VP and Chief Operating Officer, said.
Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
With the rise of electric vehicles (EV), cities have seen a growing need for car charging stations in convenient locations from the community or people simply passing through. JEA has recognized that this is especially prevalent in Jackson, as more and more people have electric vehicles with not enough charging stations to fill the demand.
“Our community needs to have access to EV chargers. So we want to take initiative and address a need in the community with hopes that other people will catch on,” Ryan said.
“We’ve installed an EV charging station at our training facility as our first step, and we are looking at putting another one downtown in the next few weeks. We want to be clear that we’re not in the EV charging business, but what we want to do is facilitate and help property owners move that forward for those charging needs across our footprint,” Mike Baughn, JEA’s Senior VP and Chief Technology Officer, said. “That helps the property owners and that helps the community.”
Continued Technology Upgrades
In addition to solar panel investment that now generates 5% of its own energy use, JEA is making other technology investments. JEA uses drones to locate downed trees or other causes of power line disruptions and resulting power outages. They have also received and implemented a grant to filter and dry wastewater remnants for fertilizer and agriculture use, reducing demand for landfill space.
JEA has enhanced customer communication and service with direct communication through texts, social media, web, and internet. Whether they’re 18 or 80, JEA wants to do everything they can to make their business model the best, tailoring their services to fit the individual needs of customers and recognizing the demand for new technology. They are always looking to improve and stay ahead of the curve while looking toward the future.
“We have to be old school because we have old school customers, but we also have to be on the cutting edge of technology because one, our customers demand it, and two, we want to provide exceptional customer service regardless of where that customer is. We want to meet our customers wherever they are,” Ryan said.
As JEA continues to thrive in the Jackson community, improve their technology, and create opportunities for innovative advancements and growth, their vision is to not only make Jackson a better place for everyone, but also for their employees.
“We want to attract and retain the best employees we can and make this city an attractive place for more residents of Jackson and West Tennessee,” Ryan said. “A way that we can help foster that is by reinvesting back into our community.”
JEA’s 400 plus employees are involved in a 24/7-365 world. Providing top quality service for customers, whether it’s residential, commercial, or industrial is essential to Jackson’s life, quality, and growth. The changes coming to West Tennessee demand continued innovation and JEA is committed to meeting needs, innovative planning, and community investment for the future.