DOING BETTER TOGETHER Sustainability is more than just green initiatives and ecofriendly behaviors—it’s about making long-lasting choices that benefit our communities and our cooperative for years to come. It’s about making savvy business choices so that your bills stay low and our operations stay efficient. But most importantly, it’s about keeping your
EVERY DAY, EMPOWERED.
2021 RECAP
COMMUNITY SOLAR We are always looking for more ways to include members in our locally generated, locally produced, and locally used solar and are proud to announce that we have developed a project to expand this initiative in Davie County. More information to come soon.
GOOD BEHAVIOR This past year we expanded our paperless billing initiative and encourage members who can make the switch to do so. Sign up to be part of the movement! We also grew our Demand Response programs of Beat the Peak and Peak Time Perks which is good for the environment and your wallet. In fact, Peak Time Perks members received a total of $85,550 in credits overall, and our Beat The Peak program expanded to over 30,000 members.
EV FLEET & DC FAST CHARGERS We added two more electric vehicles to our fleet in 2021 and continue to expand our EV charger infrastructure with two more DC fast chargers installed at Banner Drug and Mcdonald’s locations. It shows that we’re not just “talking the talk” when it comes to sustainability initiatives, we’re walking it too.
TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENTS Our AMI smart meters and Smart Grid initiatives help us minimize wasted time and energy and get your power on sooner. These technologies allow us to pinpoint the exact outage issue and give us a more holistic view of energy usage when peak times occur. This realtime feedback is the backbone of our Demand Response programs. Plus, it gives the consumer more detailed data to reduce their own usage, save money and help the environment.
DIGITAL WORK ENVIRONMENT In 2020 we adapted much of our business model to go fully remote, and though this decision was originally founded in the need to keep as many employees as safe as possible, it has shown cost and energy benefits for our co-op as well. In 2021 we continued to see the positive effects of this choice. With the majority of our employees working remotely, we’ve cut down on the number of cars on the road saving an estimated 200 metric tons of carbon per year.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT To us, sustainability isn’t just about driving electric or offering solar. It’s about making sure our communities feel taken care of and secure. One major way we accomplished this over the past year, was by empowering businesses to invest in our counties. The result? More jobs for more people to sustain the quality of life we all deserve.
OUR 2021
ENERGY MIX 49.7% NUCLEAR 34% GAS 14.5% COAL 1.8% RENEWABLE
*Does not include off-system sales
NUCLEAR
GAS
Nuclear power reactors do not produce any carbon emissions, which offers a huge advantage over more traditional energy sources. Plus, nuclear energy is incredibly reliable and has the ability to produce energy nonstop.
Natural Gas is one of the finite resources we have on this planet. Though reliable and affordable, we plan to decrease the amount we rely on this resource in years to come.
COAL
RENEWABLE
Coal is a highly abundant and affordable energy resource but it also comes with a hefty ecological impact. As of 2020, coal accounted for roughly a quarter of all energy-related carbon emissions which is why we plan to retire our dependence on this resource.
There are many environmental and economic benefits of using renewable energy. Like generating energy that produces zero greenhouse gas emissions, reduces air pollution, diversifies energy supply and minimizes dependence on imported fuels.
PUTTING THE POWER IN
YOUR HANDS Little changes can make a big difference, and our website, emails, and other digital communications are all great places to get ideas on how to start your relationship with sustainable living. For example: Did you know that making the switch to paperless billing can escalate to big environmental benefits? Read on to learn more!
COMMUNITY SOLAR You can still enjoy the benefits of using solar energy for your home by relying on our community solar program. This initiative gives members of our community the opportunity to share the benefits of solar power even if they cannot or prefer not to install solar panels on their property. Project participants benefit from the electricity generated by the community solar farm and help ensure a more eco-friendly future. In 2021 we worked to secure land to build our newest solar farm in Davie county and by 2022 we anticipate that more than 10,000 members will be able to take advantage of this renewable energy source.
THAT LIGHTBULB MOMENT Sustainability doesn’t have to mean installing solar panels on your roof, or composting every food scrap that you produce—and it certainly doesn’t have to be expensive. You may not be able to afford solar panel installation, but you can likely afford a ceiling fan to keep air circulating effectively on hot days, or a tube of caulk to seal windows from the outside air. Even behavioral changes, which are totally free, can add up to energy and cost savings: like paying your bill online, remembering to cut the light off when you leave a room, taking a shorter shower, or opening the windows on a nice day instead of relying on your thermostat. And if you have trouble remembering tips like this, our Connect membership newsletter, website, and emails are full of cool programs to help inspire positive behaviors for both you and the planet.
BEAT THE PEAK & PEAK TIME PERKS Beat the Peak is a free program that notifies members via text and/or email when there are forecasts for extreme temperatures, a.k.a. peak times. Peaks occur when the demand (and cost) for electricity is the highest. When you receive an alert, you’ll be encouraged to adjust your thermostat and lighting and to shift the time you use large appliances in an effort to hold down the demand for power. In turn, you will help us reduce our costs by limiting how much additional energy we have to purchase during the peak! Enrolling in our Peak Time Perks program allows us, your energy services provider, to automatically adjust your smart thermostat to balance our energy savings. At any time during this event of course, you can choose to manually change the temperature, but allowing us to turn your thermostat up or down a couple notches can help our energy grid in meaningful ways. Not to mention, participants are credited $50 on their electric bill when they sign up and an additional $20 each year after that.
ELECTRIC VEHICLES We are a member of Plug-In NC, a statewide advocacy group that supports plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) adoption and raises awareness of the environmental benefits of driving an electric vehicle. In the past year we’ve grown our EV infrastructure base to better support electric vehicles added within our member base every year. Curious if an electric vehicle is right for you? Scan the QR code to find out. See why it makes sense: NCDriveElectric.com/co-ops/ EnergyUnited/