Bustling residential, commercial, and industrial communities flourish in the Upper Cumberland Region of Tennessee due primarily to abundant and economical electric power distributed by the Upper Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation. The Upper Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation (UCEMC) is an electric power distribution cooperative owned and operated by its members. It distributes electric power through more than 4,700 miles of lines to 52,000 members located primarily in Jackson, Overton, Putnam, Smith counties, and northern DeKalb County. Several members are served in "fringe" areas of Clay, Fentress, Macon, Pickett, White, and Wilson counties. A board of nine directors elected by the membership directs UCEMC. Under the board's direction, a general manager manages the cooperative's operations with 124 employees.