The Pedernales Electric Cooperative launched a new medical necessity program June 1 to gather information about customers who use life-sustaining electric equipment.

The program will create a registry of residential locations in the cooperative’s service territory for these members so that when planned outages or service interruptions for nonpayment are scheduled, employees with the cooperative will provide advance notice so preparations can be made.

The program does not guarantee priority electric service restoration, and members identified in the program are not exempt from planned service interruptions nor from service policies.

“Our new medical necessity program is really another opportunity to facilitate communications between PEC and our members,” Vice President of Member Services Eddie Dauterive said. “We will provide additional communications with them to help them prepare and have a backup plan or system in place. If members are having trouble making payments, they can reach out to our member services team to discuss options and alternative arrangements.”

To qualify for the medical necessity program, the residential location must house someone diagnosed by a physician with one of the following medical conditions:

  • Chronic, lifelong: having been diagnosed by a physician as requiring an electric-powered device to prevent the impairment of major life function

  • Chronic: having been diagnosed by a physician as requiring an electric-powered device to prevent the impairment of major life function; to maintain chronic designation, members must reapply once a year

  • Critical care, lifelong: having been diagnosed by a physician as requiring an electric-powered device to sustain life

  • Critical care: having been diagnosed by a physician as requiring an electric-powered device to sustain life; to maintain critical care designation, members must reapply once every two years


Members may request an application by calling 888-554-4732, picking up an application in any PEC office or downloading an application at www.pec.coop/medical.