December 2010
Steps to Restoring Power Whether we’re building a new substation, replacing aging power poles, or trimming trees too close to power lines, Blue Ridge Electric works every day to keep your power reliable. Yet no matter how well we maintain our electric infrastructure, severe weather sometimes harms our system, leading to power outages for members. The major cause of outages is damage from fallen trees. That’s why we have an ongoing right-of-way maintenance program to protect over 8,000 miles of power lines serving the cooperative’s 73,000 accounts. Restoring power after a major outage involves much more than simply throwing a switch or removing a tree from a line. The main goal is to restore power safely — for members and linemen — in the shortest amount of time possible. Even before an outage occurs, Blue Ridge Electric employees continuously monitor weather conditions and are prepared with a plan of action. Our plan for quick, safe power restoration includes: Step 1: Transmission structures and lines that supply power to one or more transmission substations are restored first.These main delivery lines receive first priority because they serve tens of thousands of people. Step 2: Restored next are distribution substations, which “step down” or reduce voltage from transmission lines so it can be distributed to thousands of members. Step 3: Main distribution supply lines are restored next if the problem cannot be found at earlier check points. These are the lines on power poles along roads.
Did you know? The fastest way to report an outage is by calling our automated Powerline at 1-800-448-2383. See the inside of this magazine for a convenient glow in the dark magnet with the Powerline number!
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Step 4: The final power supply lines, called “tap lines,” are restored next if needed. These lines “tap off” the main distribution lines. Step 5: Damage can also occur on the service line leading from the transformer pole into your home. This can explain why your neighbors have power and you don’t.
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Blue Ridge Electric provides for the administration of the Foundation, but it’s the generous support of each of us joining together individually as members to participate in Operation Round Up® that make it possible to help friends and neighbors in need. People in our area continue to feel the effects of a struggling economy so the need has never been greater. Our latest st figures show that through September, the Foundation has provided assistance to 1,248 families. That’s a 57 percent increase over last year. The Foundation has been able to meet the need so far…but the need continues to grow. The extreme cold winter last year, hotter summer temperatures, and high unemployment all combine to put pressure on both local families and the organizations they must turn to for help in times like these. More members are requesting assistance. And like many other helping organizations, the Members Foundation is beginning to feel the strain to keep up with demand. Particularly at this time of year, the number of families needing help to keep warm is a priority for the member volunteers who serve on the Foundation Advisory Committee. And that’s
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Caring for our members and helping improve the local quality of life will always be our top priority as a local, community based cooperative. A key way we’re demonstrating this is through the Blue Ridge Electric Members Foundation and the vital help it’s providing for crisis heating assistance, lowering long term energy bills through weatherization efforts, and funding grants for programs and services that improve the overall quality of life for people in this area.
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The Need is Greater Than Ever: Please Consider Joining or Increasing Giving to Operation Round Up
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understandable. Crisis heating assistance can mean the difference between not having to go without groceries, medicine, gasoline or other necessities. And by relying on local agencies to select recipients and administer the funds, we’re assured that the most severe situations receive a helping hand. Members giving through our Operation Round Up programs are making this possible. From the growing need we’re seeing in local communities, there has never been a more critical time to give! That’s why I’d like to take this opportunity to thank those already participating, but I would also ask that if you can posw sibly give more, please consider doing so by signing up for Operation Round Up® PLUS. Every dollar t ggoes directly to those in need. Many of us are already doing our part. Man Currently, more than 23,000 members are participating in Operation Round Up. Another 5,000 are giving higher monthly amounts through Operation Round Up PLUS. Our employees are also contributing. And from the profits of your cooperative’s heating fuels subsidiary, Blue Ridge Energies, the cooperative has given $25,000 annually to the Foundation for the past three years. As I think about the impact the Members Foundation is having in helping our families and supporting our area, I envision the tremendous possibilities if more Operation Round Up participants could give a few cents or a few dollars more each month. By joining together in the cooperative spirit to help our communities and neighbors, we can leave a legacy that is only limited by our imagination.
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Be Part of the Solution Over the past 10 months, more than 1,000 members needed financial assistance with their electric bill. How was Blue Ridge Electric Members Foundation able to respond to this unprecedented need? It’s really quite simple - YOU! Record numbers of members joined Operation Round Up® and Operation Round Up® PLUS allowing their electric bills to be rounded up so these members could stay warm and keep the power on through these difficult times. Donations average 50 cents per month for Operation Round Up. But you can do even more by joining Operation Round Up PLUS. Every dollar you give goes directly to those who need it most. Be part of the solution. Your friends and neighbors are counting on you!
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More News Board to Name Credentials and Election Committee Each year, the members of Blue Ridge Electric have the opportunity to exercise the cooperative value of member democratic control by participating in the annual election of directors who govern and provide strategic direction and policy setting for your cooperative. As a first step in the annual director election process, the members of your Board of Directors who are not up for re-election this year appointed nine members to the Credentials and Election (C&E) Committee during their regular monthly board meeting in November. The C&E Committee is made up of members from each district within the cooperative’s service area. The key responsibilities of the C&E Committee are to ensure elections are properly handled and to certify the results of the election of directors. As a result of recent Bylaws amendments making it easier for members to vote by adding a mail ballot option, the Committee’s responsibilities will increase. In December, the Committee will meet to review the selection of an independent election ballot vendor who will manage the election process for the Cooperative. The Committee will meet again in April to review and approve the qualifications of any nominations for director by petition and to review and approve the ballot to be mailed to the membership. The C&E Committee, which will serve a one-year term, also serves the members by overseeing the final steps of the election process at the annual meeting, including certifying the election results. More information on the 2011 director elections and the new mail ballot process will be communicated in this newsletter in the coming months prior to the June election.
STATEMENT OF NONDISCRIMINATION Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation is the recipient of Federal financial assistance from the Rural Utilities Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and is subject to the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture’s policy, this organization is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, or disability. The person responsible for coordinating this compliance effort is Julie O’Dell-Michie, senior vice president and chief administrative officer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write to: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W,Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW,Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call (202) 720-5964 (voice or TDD). Both USDA and Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation are equal opportunity providers and employers.
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Members Only NEWS
~For Members of Blue Ridge Electric
CORPORATE OFFICE PO Box 112 • Lenoir, NC 28645
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Doug Johnson EDITOR Renée R. Whitener PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR Susan Simmons DISTRICT OFFICES Caldwell (828) 754-9071 Watauga (828) 264-8894 Ashe (336) 246-7138 Alleghany (336) 372-4646 Wilkes (800) 451-5474 (800) 448-2383 PowerLine® (PowerLine® is an automated account information and outage reporting system.) Toll Free 1 (800) 451-5474 (for members outside the service area) To report an outage at any time, call one of the numbers listed above. OFFICE HOURS 8:30 am - 5:00 pm, Monday - Friday Night deposit available. Visit us on the Web: www.BlueRidgeEMC.com
Energy Efficient Holiday Lights Appearing during the darkest time of the year, holiday lights brighten hearts, as well as neighborhoods and landscapes. Save energy and money this holiday season by switching your old strands of incandescent bulbs to new LEDs (light emitting diodes). LEDs use a fraction of the energy of conventional light bulbs and have a 50,000 hour bulb life. Based on semiconductors, LEDs are also cool to the touch and extremely durable. A strand of LED holiday lights is typically between $20 to $30 and are available in a wide range of colors and styles, from icicles to snowflakes and more. They can be ordered online, from local hardware stores, or big box retailers. Source: www.thedailygreen.com
Holiday Closings As we pause and reflect upon the many blessings we enjoy, Blue Ridge Electric would like to say “thank you” for participating in the success of your cooperative. We value you, our member-owners, and wish you a Happy Thanksgiving, a very Merry Christmas, and a New Year filled with peace and prosperity. Blue Ridge Electric offices will be closed as we observe the following holidays: • Thursday, November 25, 2010, and Friday, November 26, 2010 (Thanksgiving) • Friday, December 24, 2010, and Monday, December 27, 2010 (Christmas) • Monday, January 3, 2011 (New Year’s Day) You may still reach Blue Ridge Electric anytime day or night, even when offices are closed, by calling your local district office where someone is always available to assist you. Happy Holidays!
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