August 2012
Balancing beauty with reliable, safe electricity Blue Ridge Electric takes great pride in providing our members with the most reliable electricity possible. Tree contact with power lines is the single leading cause of outages and that’s why we have a carefully planned vegetation management program. We’re also committed to protecting the natural beauty of our landscapes and being good environmental stewards.
Blue Ridge Electric is among the top performing utilities in the country for reliable electricity, thanks, in great part, to our vegetation maintenance program.
Blue Ridge Electric helps ensure reliability by controlling large tree and brush growth for the 7,760 miles of distribution lines and 280 miles of transmission lines delivering electricity to our members. We’ve reduced the time it takes to complete clearing of our entire system from 12 years to 6, which means more trimming and less cutting to benefit the landscape. This type of program is not only better for reliability and the environment; it also controls costs, which benefits members. Furthermore, keeping trees away from power lines is a safety measure. Trees and other objects that come into contact with power lines can become energized, leading to shock or electrocution. So, keeping trees away from power lines creates a safer environment for children climbing trees or homeowners trimming trees near power lines. Even fallen power lines can still be energized, which is why no one but a Blue Ridge Electric line technician should ever go near a downed power line. A clear path for power lines also ensures a safer working environment for line technicians performing routine maintenance or working during outages. Finally, members can help ensure safe, reliable electricity by avoiding planting trees near power lines. If a tree is already in the right of way and must be removed, Blue Ridge offers a tree voucher program that allows members to redeem the voucher at an approved local nursery to select a lower-growing variety of tree. While trees contribute to the beauty of our region, we encourage members to work with the cooperative to ensure we balance beauty with reliable, safe electricity. Carolina Country AUGUST 2012 17
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Since adding modern, convenient ways of voting by mail or Internet to elect directors, thousands of you have made your voice heard. Previously, members had to drive to the annual meeting to cast their vote and fewer than 1,000 members chose to participate. This year, more than 7,500 members voted online or by mail. Those are impressive results. It tells us that members like easier ways to be involved in the most important business of their cooperative. Members are informed of the director nomination and election process — and how you can participate — all throughout the year in this newsletter, so we also believe it’s an indication members are satisfied with the leadership of their cooperative when so many participate to re-elect four well qualified, experienced directors who ran uncontested. Our open voting and nomination process, combined with member participation, ensures the directors of your cooperative best reflect the values and goals of the membership as a whole. One of the great things about the board of directors of a cooperative is that they are members just like you. They live in our communities and care about the same things you do. One of things you may not know is how much time and effort they devote in helping guide Blue Ridge Electric. Your board sets policies, rates and strategic direction so that the
best interests of the entire memec u ti bership are met. Their most imporve Offi tant job is helping ensure your coopcer Doug Johnson erative is positioned to meet your needs for reliable and affordable electricity, now and in future years. Each and every member of your board takes this responsibility very seriously. More than 7,500
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Did you know that more members have participated in your cooperative’s director elections during the last two years than in the entire past 20 years?
f hie yC An Editorial b
Record high member involvement
Board update
Your cooperative’s board is also made up of members who represent a good cross-section of backgrounds, skills, and knowledge that represent the membership. They are also on a continuous path of training and learning because the utility industry is very complex and is changing rapidly. Each director has achieved, or is earning, their director credentials and Board Leadership Certificate from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). These curriculums, as well additional training by national and state associations, provide greater depth on industry issues that affect cooperatives and our members, governance, risk management, rate making and policy development — all areas that help ensure strong leadership for Blue Ridge Electric. As a cooperative, we exist to serve your energy needs. Thank you for working with us to meet two of the most important member responsibilities: participation in the cooperative and election of board members to serve on our board of directors. Through convenient ways to be involved with your cooperative, you can be assured you’re receiving one of the many benefits of being a member of an electric cooperative!
members voted in this year’s director elections thanks to convenient options of voting by mail or Internet. Members could also vote during the annual meeting, which changed to a business format to help save costs for members and was held Thursday evening, June 14, at the J.E. Broyhill Civic Center in Lenoir. Directors elected to serve threeyear terms were: Kenneth Greene, Ashe district; Charity GambillGwyn, director at large from Alleghany district; Jimmy Hemphill, Caldwell district; and Joy Coffey, Watauga district. At the board’s regularly scheduled meeting in June, the following board members were elected to serve as officers: Kenneth Greene, president; Jeff Joines, vice president; Joy Coffey, secretary-treasurer; and Charity Gambill-Gwyn, assistant secretary-treasurer.
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More News Blue Ridge Electric Members Foundation
New Impact Grants
The Blue Ridge Electric Members Foundation will begin awarding new, larger Impact Grants to local non-profit programs and projects that serve the members of Blue Ridge Electric. Impact Grants are designed to answer needs in our communities to improve quality of life as well as crisis assistance. Impact Grants, according to Grey Scheer, director of community relations, are an extension of the Foundation’s regular grant opportunities and are made possible as a result of members’ generosity. “The contributions from our members through the Operation Round Up® program have continued to grow and led to this opportunity to make a larger impact on the quality of life in the communities we serve.” Since 2007, the Members Foundation has awarded more than $400,000 to over 100 local projects and averaged approximately $3,500 per grant. “While these funds have provided tremendous help to our members and communities, the Foundation Ad-
visory Committee (FAC) wanted to do more. After some careful consideration, the FAC made a recommendation to the Blue Ridge Electric board of directors to begin offering up to two Impact Grants annually,” Scheer continued. “Impact Grants will average between $25,000 and $50,000 with the hope of awarding one or two per year.” The application process for Impact Grants is the same as regular Foundation grants and can be found at BlueRidgeEMC.com under “In the Community” tab. In addition to the new Impact Grants, the Foundation will continue awarding an additional $50,000 in community grants for smaller projects of non-profit agencies and services. Additionally, Foundation funds will also continue going to local agencies to help Blue Ridge Electric members in need of crisis electric bill assistance.
Has your phone number, e-mail, or address changed? Anytime your phone number, e-mail or mailing address changes, please remember to call your local Blue Ridge Electric office to let us know. This helps us provide you with the best member service to meet your needs, such as during outages or when you call us or e-mail us. It also ensures timely delivery of capital credits refunds and other important information.
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Members Only NEWS
~For Members of Blue Ridge Electric
Deadline is September 30
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
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Blue Ridge offers educator grants Teachers and principals are encouraged to apply now for Bright Ideas grants totaling $17,000 being awarded by Blue Ridge Electric in conjunction with North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation for the 2012-2013 school year. Bright Ideas grants provide educators with funding of up to $1,500 per grant for innovative classroom projects that benefit students and would not otherwise be covered by the school budget. Bright Ideas has financed a variety of handson projects, including activities in music, art, history, language, reading, science, math, and information technology. Proposals can come from any area of the curriculum. Blue Ridge Electric is in its 90th year of providing Bright Ideas grants as part of its support of youth and education in
the communities it serves. To date, the cooperative has awarded more than $324,000 to 407 classrooms, which has benefited more than 90,000 local students. Bright Ideas reflects Blue Ridge Electric’s commitment to community and support of local education. The application deadline for Bright Ideas grants is September 30. Projects must directly benefit students, provide ongoing benefits, and use innovative teaching methods. Applications and full details of the Bright Ideas program can be found at BlueRidgeEMC.com or ncbrightideas.com. All applications must be submitted online at the websites above. For more information, please contact Grey Scheer, director of community relations, at gscheer@blueridgeemc.com.
Members save $1 million on their prescriptions! Blue Ridge Electric members recently reached a milestone when they surpassed $1 million in savings on their prescriptions. Through the Co-op Connections® Card program, members save an average of 45 percent on prescription drugs at a wide variety of local and national pharmacies. Ask your favorite pharmacist if he or she offers a Co-op Connections Card discount. It’s one more benefit to being a member of Blue Ridge Electric.
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