August 2016
matters MEMBERSHIP
A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FROM BLUE RIDGE ELECTRIC MEMBERSHIP CORPORATION
Photo by Todd Bush
Did you know... 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.
Balancing beauty with reliable, safe electricity Blue Ridge Electric takes great pride in providing 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 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. Keeping trees away from power lines is also a safety measure. Trees and other objects that come into contact with power lines can become energized, leading to shock or electrocution. Even fallen power
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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 is also a safer working environment for line technicians performing routine maintenance or power restoration. Members can help ensure safe, reliable electricity by avoiding tree planting near power lines. Blue Ridge has two certified arborists to assist members with choosing the right tree for the right place or removing trees that could be hazardous. Additionally, tree vouchers and stump grinding are available for trees identified as critical for removal in order to prevent growth into power lines. A planting guide and other information can be found in the “Environment” section under the “Powerful Solutions” tabs on BlueRidgeEMC.com.
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From Blue Ridge CEO Doug Johnson
Strong member involvement continues Since adding convenient mail and Internet voting options for director elections, a record number of members are making their voices heard in each election. This tells us that you like easy ways to participate in one of the most important decisions for cooperative members: election of your Board of Directors. Members are informed throughout the year in this newsletter and at BlueRidgeEMC.com of the director nomination and election processes, as well as how to be involved. One of the great things about your Board of Directors is that they’re members just like you. They live in our communities and they work hard to ensure that Blue Ridge Electric is operated in the best interests of our member-owners. The members you elect to the Board devote significant time and effort in training and education to equip them for setting sound policy, rates and strategic direction for the cooperative’s membership. Their most important job is seeing that your cooperative meets your needs for reliable and affordable electricity — and that it is always
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delivered with superior customer care. The cross-section of backgrounds, skills, and knowledge encompassed by your Board of Directors helps assure strong leadership to benefit you as members. Your Board is on a continuous course of training and learning to keep updated in an industry that is undergoing transformational change. Each director also works to achieve their credentials and Board leadership certifications from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). These curriculums, coupled with ongoing training by national and state associations, provide your Board members the critical skills and knowledge necessary to effectively guide your cooperative. For those who participated by voting, I want to thank you for being involved in one of the most important member responsibilities: election of your representatives to serve on the Blue Ridge Electric Board of Directors. Member participation is one of the seven cooperative principles and one of the many benefits of membership in an electric cooperative!
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Board Update Nearly 7,000 members voted in this year’s director elections thanks to convenient options of voting by mail or Internet. Members also had an opportunity to vote during the Annual Meeting which was held on Thursday, June 16, at the cooperative’s corporate office in Lenoir. Video updates are online at BlueRidgeEMC.com.
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Directors elected to serve threeyear terms were: Jeff Joines, Caldwell district; James Burl (J.B.) Lawrence, Watauga district; Bradley McNeill, Ashe district; and Bryan Edwards, Alleghany district. At the Board’s regularly scheduled meeting in June, the following Board members were elected as officers: Kenneth Greene, president; Jeff Joines, vice president; Joy Coffey, secretarytreasurer; and David Eggers, assistant secretary-treasurer. MEMBERSHIP matters
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Blue Ridge Electric Members Foundation accepting Community Grant applications The Blue Ridge Electric Members Foundation is once again accepting grant applications from local nonprofit organizations that serve the members of Blue Ridge Electric. Funding for these grants comes from members who voluntarily round up their electric bills on the Operation Round Up® programs as well as a $50,000 donation contributed by Blue Ridge Electric’s subsidiaries, Blue Ridge Energies and RidgeLink. Local nonprofit organizations can apply for community grants up to $10,000. Larger grant applications are now only accepted by invitation. More information about grant availability and an application can be found at www.blueridgeemc.com under the Community tab. The deadline for the Blue Ridge Electric Members Foundation grant applications is August 31, and grant awards will be announced in early December.
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For more information, contact Grey Scheer, director of community relations, at gscheer@blueridgeemc.com or by calling 1-800-451-5474, extension 3294.
Don’t have time to wait on hold? Click the “Chat” button at BlueRidgeEMC.com and be immediately connected with a member representative! Member representatives are available 8 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday–Friday, during regular business hours. Chat: a fast, friendly service option!
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In 2015, the Yadkin Valley Volunteer Fire Department received a $10,000 grant to purchase an electronic hydraulic cutter/spreader tool to assist in auto, agricultural and industrial accidents and forcible entry into structures.
Always call 811 before digging Homeowners can make risky assumptions about whether or not they should get their utility lines marked, but every digging job requires a call — even small projects like planting trees and shrubs. The depth of utility lines varies, and there may be multiple utility lines in a common area. Digging without calling to mark all underground facilities can disrupt service to an entire neighborhood, cause harm to you and others, and potentially result in fines and repair costs. For your convenience and safety, please call “811” at least two business days before any digging project. In fact, it’s required by law to notify local
MEMBERSHIP matters
utilities regarding digging projects. This one call will get all participating utility underground lines marked for free and help prevent problems or injuries. Simply call 811 and answer a few questions about your location and the type of work to be done. The work from each utility will be completed in a timely manner. Then you’ll be ready to safely begin your project! Be sure to keep the ticket number 811 gives you in case it’s needed for future references. You can also use it to track your request online at www.ncocc.org. Remember, safe digging is no accident. Know what’s below before you dig − always call 811! Page 23
One free, easy call gets your utility lines marked AND helps protect you from injury and expense. BlueRidge-0816.indd 23
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Deadline is September 15
Bright Ideas grants help teachers teach and students learn This year, Blue Ridge Electric will celebrate 22 years of helping teachers instruct and students learn with the help of classroom grants called Bright Ideas. Bright Ideas grants are designed to help provide teachers with specific opportunities to enhance their classroom educational experiences. Since 1994, Blue Ridge Electric has awarded Each year, Blue Ridge Electric promore than $406,000 in vides up to $17,000 to fund several Bright Ideas grants grants in each of our four primary impacting over districts as well as some Wilkes and 100,000 students. Avery county schools. Grant awards range from a few hundred dollars up to the maximum of $1,500, and are awarded each November for innovative classroom projects that benefit students and are not able to be funded by regular school budgets.
Teachers and administrators are encouraged to access the Bright Ideas application through the Blue Ridge website at BlueRidgeEMC.com or directly at ncbrightideas.com. The deadline for all applications is September 15.
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Doug Johnson
Good value with
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
(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 Powerline at (800) 448-2383. OFFICE HOURS: 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday Night deposit available. Visit us on the web: BlueRidgeEMC.com +
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FlexPay is an even better value than ever before! Now this convenient “pay-as-you-use” plan has no extra access costs. With FlexPay, you can purchase electricity in any amount that fits your budget, and any schedule you like: daily, weekly or monthly! With FlexPay, there are never any deposits or late fees. Simply keep your account funded at a level to power your desired usage. Combined with easy ways to pay 24/7 by phone and kiosks, this plan makes it easy for members desiring the ability to pay for electricity on their own terms.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
MEMBERSHIP matters
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