Reflections on 2022

PAUL BERRIDGE

In the big picture, we want what you want – a healthy, vibrant southeastern Ohio, a place to grow and prosper.

Our mission is to provide dependable electric service to our member-owners at the most reasonable cost We are always looking for ways to improve reliability and our members' experience

After 28 years, Tonda Meadows, executive vice president and general manager, elected to take early retirement at the end of 2022 She served faithfully as the general manager for the past 15 years Kent Eldridge, formerly VP member services, was selected by the board as the new CEO and began his role on January 1, 2023

During the year 2022, your Board of Trustees distributed more than $1 3 million in capital credit refunds to our members.

As we worked our way back to normal after the pandemic, 2022 proved to be another year of accomplishments (as well as heartbreak) A few of the accomplishments are highlighted on the following page.

Improvement Of Operating System Software

When faced with a mandatory upgrade of our existing system, it was decided to switch to the system used by the majority of electric cooperatives This was a monumental task, lasting more than six months and affecting every department and employee Our employees did an outstanding job and our members were gracious during the process

Construction Work Plan

BREC was able to continue work on our projects included in the current work plan Projects completed in 2022 included approximately 4 miles of line rebuild projects to upgrade conductors and improve reliability and power quality These projects were complete rebuilds and reconductoring projects in the Bolin Mills area, providing improved voltage support and ability to interconnect

OHIO EMA (Emergency Manag ement Agency) GRANT

In late 2021, the cooperative received an OEMA grant of over $9 million to assist with the rebuilding, strengthening, and restoring of portions of our 640+ miles of line that was devasted during the 2021 winter ice storms This work is currently underway

Annual Meeting

For the safety and health of our members and staff, the 2022 annual meeting was held virtually The annual meeting was successfully presented on Saturday, August 13, 2022 For 2023, the Annual Meeting will return to in-person in a “business-only” format and will be held at the BREC office.

Meeting Member Needs

We provided our members with donations to worthy causes, scholarships and Youth Tour (Washington, D.C.) trips for BREC students, rebates, and economic development support Our employees reflected their gener ous spirit in support of those less fortunate over the holidays We remain proactive in our efforts to continue to support our region as well as finding new ways to be involved

In the following pages, we summarize our many activities and milestones during another eventful year As we reflect on the past 85 years, we ’ ve come a long way, and yet our vision for the future challenges us to go even furthe r We look forward to another year of service to our members, and to facing the challenges and embracing the opportunities yet to come

Above all, we are proud to be an integral part of our region, and grateful for the privilege to serve you.