January 2014
matters MEMBERSHIP
A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FROM BLUE RIDGE ELECTRIC MEMBERSHIP CORPORATION
This is the first of a series of articles discussing vegetation management.
Vegetation management helps ensure reliable, safe electricity Severe weather that involves ice, wind and lightning — resulting in damage to trees and power lines — is the major cause of outages. With more than 8,000 miles of power lines to protect, your electric cooperative works yearround on our vegetation management program to ensure members enjoy the most reliable electricity possible. This effort has also placed Blue Ridge among the best performing utilities in the nation for reliability.
to ensure you receive reliable electricity. The majority of our system is made up of distribution lines, which carry power from substations to homes and businesses. The right-of-way for this type of line is a total of 30 feet (15 feet on each side).
Blue Ridge Electric is a unique cooperative in that we must also build and maintain our own transmission system. These high voltage power lines deliver electricity from Tree contact with power lines is the our supplier in the foothills to reach our mounsingle leading cause of outages . . . tain district members. Vegetation management occurs in our The right-of-way for these lines ranges rights-of way. What is a right-of-way? from a total of 100 to 250 feet, dependIt’s a corridor — or strip of land — ing on the voltage of the line. along either side of power lines that allows our linemen to work safely to Many people don’t know that power build and maintain the power system lines carrying electricity can energize
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anything or anyone that gets too close to the line, including a tree or tree limb, ladder, or even a wet kite string. Maintained rights-of-way help ensure that trees don’t get close enough to power lines to energize them, and while this helps keep electricity reliable, it also helps keep people and even animals from being electrocuted or severely injured. Our vegetation management program combines several methods to control growth — all with the goal of balancing the beauty of our area while ensuring safe, reliable electricity. In next month’s newsletter, we’ll discuss these innovative methods and how this approach benefits members.
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the
perspective From Blue Ridge CEO Doug Johnson
Performance and outlook Improving our members’ lives is at the heart of all we do at Blue Ridge Electric and our plans for 2014 are designed to make a difference for those we serve. First, let me explain that, as a cooperative, our business model is not to generate profits, but rather to provide the lowest cost electricity possible in areas that are typically more expensive to serve. In northwest North Carolina for example, rocky, mountainous terrain increases construction costs and fewer consumers per mile of line are available to share costs. And because regions like ours are more challenged regarding quality jobs, health care, education and other things that make life better for our families, we also exist to support local communities in improving the quality of life for our members. Keeping your electric bills as low as possible is a goal that’s become increasingly important as rising costs are affecting all of us. Additionally, the number of people locating to our area has slowed to nearly zero growth and this has also impacted your cooperative as well as the local economy. We have several strategies working together to help us keep your bills as low as possible despite these cost pressures. I’m also extremely proud of our employees who, through our WorkSmart program, have identified ways to avoid spending over $3 million annually. This is ongoing savings through efforts such as finding innovative ways to manage workload without replacing retiring employees, changes to our employee benefits, and better use of technology for Page 18
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efficiency. We will continue looking for ways to control and reduce operational costs in 2014. Our subsidiaries also play a key role in keeping your electric bill as low as possible. All profits and cash benefits from our subsidiaries go directly to the members’ benefit. During 2013, Blue Ridge Energies and RidgeLink produced more than $2 million in net benefit which provided about 25 percent of the cooperative’s net margins. Our long-term vision goal is to grow this benefit to $4 million per year. This benefit helps cover operational costs that members would otherwise need to pay in their rates on monthly bills. Also helping members financially is the money returned to you through the cooperative’s capital credits refund process. In 2014, upon board approval, members will receive more than $4 million. For the typical long-term member, that’s roughly equal to one month’s electric bill. During 2014, we’ll also execute plans to continue being a national best performer in reliability of service, member and customer satisfaction, and employee safety. I will share more with you on these key areas in future columns later this year. Our highest calling is to deliver good value to our member-owners. We do this by keeping your lights on, keeping your bill affordable, delivering great service to you and by being innovative with our subsidiaries and technology utilization. We are honored to be owned by the people of northwest North Carolina and I wish you all the best for the new year!
Your Subsidiaries at a Glance Blue Ridge Energies: providing residential and commercial propane and heating fuel needs from Independence, VA. to the foothills of North Carolina. Showrooms featuring gas heating products which are located in each Blue Ridge Electric district office. BlueRidgeEnergies.com
RidgeLink: a business-tobusiness provider of broadband high capacity network, leasing to wireless communications companies and Internet Service Providers that serve education, health care, manufacturing and local government sectors. RidgeLinkLLC.com
MEMBERSHIP matters
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MEM
Members Foundation 2013 grant recipients Alleghany County Alleghany Partnership for Children
$2,500
To help ensure the safety of children by funding booster seats and forward-facing combination seats and purchase supplies for Circle of Parents support group
Alleghany Memorial Hospital
$5,000
To assist in renovations required for needed physical and occupational therapy for patients
Ashe Memorial Hospital
$25,000
Impact Grant awarded to assist in the capital campaign to renovate and expand the Emergency Department of Ashe Memorial Hospital
Ashe Partnership for Children
$2,000
To implement a peer empowerment group at Ashe County Middle School for adolescent girls
Ashe Really Cares
$4,000
To purchase food for the 250 families served monthly and to assist families that are having trouble paying for utilities
Shoes for Kids
$5,000
To assist in the purchase of sufficient inventory of shoes for Ashe County students identified by guidance counselors as needing proper footware
TRIO at CCC & TI
$1,000
To continue TRIO program targeting rising 7th graders to encourage first generation college entry
ies
South Caldwell Christian Ministries
$3,000
To assist in purchase of a walk-in freezer to allow for greater donations from individuals and Second Harvest Food Bank
Caldwell County Yokefellow, Inc.
$2,000
New program called “Pathways to Well Being” which assists clients in finding new employment and taking better care of themselves and learning to spend their earnings more wisely
vid-
Lenoir Soup Kitchen
$1,000
Will be used to purchase or upgrade current equipment and facilities to better serve the homeless and needy
Caldwell County Lions Activities Assoc., Inc.
$1,000
To help Lions Club provide free eyeglasses for low income individuals in Caldwell County
Helping Hands Clinic
$2,000
Continue funding for the “Evening Acute Care Clinic” which provides medical care when no affordable option is available
Appalachian Regional Healthcare Foundation
$25,000
Impact Grant awarded to help fund the capital campaign to construct a new post-acute care facility
Casting Bread Food Pantry
$2,500
To assist in providing food for families in need and support a nutritional initiative
Eagle Rock Ministries, Inc.
$2,500
To support the High Country Toy Run for less fortunate children at Christmas
High Country Women’s Fund
$2,500
To support childcare services for local children of women currently working on their GED
Community Care Clinic
$2,500
To support the Health Education Project which provides assistance in a variety of areas
Children’s Council of Watauga County
$2,500
To continue providing single parents and parents in recovery with weekly support groups, GED classes with free childcare, library resources, childbirth classes and other community projects
rcial
needs
o the
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Ashe County
Caldwell County
Watauga County
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ers
$91,000
Resolutions deadline The deadline for members to submit resolutions to be considered for presentation at the 2014 Annual Meeting is February 28. Resolutions should be addressed to Doug Johnson, PO Box 112, Lenoir, NC, 28645. Proposed resolutions should clearly state their relevance to the cooperative’s mission, objectives and operations as well as how they relate to the cooperative’s membership. A Resolutions Committee will review submissions for compliance with the Resolutions Policy. At the board’s MEMBERSHIP matters
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regular March meeting, the committee will make recommendations for any resolutions to the board. Resolutions approved by the Resolutions Committee and the board of directors will be provided to members for consideration and vote. The Resolutions Committee is composed of chairpersons of the cooperative’s district Member Advisory Committees and members of the board of directors’ Policy and Member Relations Committee.
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Two new district leaders named Promoted to new positions to lead service to members are: Wongalee Thomas manager of the Caldwell district office; and Joel Souther, operations and district manager of the Alleghany district office. WongaleeThomas
Thomas leads the Caldwell member services team in providing knowledgeable, personal touch service in the office and over the telephone to cooperative members. She also oversees customer service and gas appliance showroom sales in the Caldwell office for Blue Ridge Energies, the cooperative’s heating fuels subsidiary. Thomas has worked with Blue Ridge Electric for 13 years, most recently as senior member services representa-
tive in the Caldwell office. Previously, she worked for Duke Energy. Souther was promoted to his current position of leading reliability, maintenance and member service efforts upon the retirement of Joe Ward, who had been with Blue Ridge Electric nearly 30 years. Souther joined the cooperative in 1984 as an installer of load management systems and completed training at Wake Technical College to become a lineman. He achieved lineman class A status by 1988, was promoted to crew leader in 1990, and in 2007 became a construction layout technician. Souther is also certified in power line design.
Joel Souther
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Doug Johnson
EDITOR Renée R. Whitener
PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR Susan Simmons
DISTRICT OFFICES Caldwell Watauga Ashe Alleghany Wilkes PowerLine®
(828) 754-9071 (828) 264-8894 (336) 846-7138 (336) 372-4646 (800) 451-5474 (800) 448-2383
Toll Free
(800) 451-5474
New, easier-to-read bill format coming in January Members will see a new look for their bill starting in January! Your new bill format is designed to be easier to read. There will also be information to help you understand your usage as well as ways to lower your costs and manage your bill. New features also include a monthly usage comparison chart. As a member-owned cooperative, we’re looking out for your best interests. Making your bill easy to read and helping you manage your costs are just two of the ways we do that.
(PowerLine® is an automated account information and outage reporting system.)
(for members outside of the service area.)
To report an outage at any time, call one of the number listed above. OFFICE HOURS: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm, Monday-Friday Night deposit available. Visit us on the web: BlueRidgeEMC.com
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MEMBERSHIP matters
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