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AUGUST 2014

A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FROM BLUE RIDGE ELECTRIC MEMBERSHIP CORPORATION

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 brush growth for the 7,760 miles of distribution lines and 280 miles of transmission lines delivering electricity to our members.

clear path for power lines also ensures a safer working environment for line technicians performing routine maintenance or working during outages.

Keeping trees away from power lines is a safety measure. Trees and other objects that come into contact with power lines can become . . . keeping trees away from energized, leading to shock or power lines is a safety measure. electrocution. So keeping trees away from power lines creates a safer environment for children We’re also committed to protecting the climbing trees or homeowners trimming trees near power lines. Even natural beauty of our landscapes and fallen power lines can still be enerbeing good environmental stewards. gized, which is why no one but a Blue Ridge Electric line technician should Blue Ridge Electric helps ensure reliability by controlling large tree and ever go near a downed power line. A

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. A planting guide can also be found under the “GreenSmart | Environment” tabs on BlueRidgeEMC.com. Finally, Blue Ridge offers a tree voucher program to assist members in tree replacement and/or stump removal.

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.

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perspective From Blue Ridge CEO Doug Johnson

Record high member involvement Since adding convenient mail and Internet voting options for director elections, close to 7,000 members are making their voices heard.

These results tell us that you, our memberowners, like easy ways to be involved in the most important business of this cooperative — your board of director elections.

Members are informed of the director nomination and election process — and how you can participate — throughout the year in this newsletter and at BlueRidgeEMC.com.

One of the great things about Blue Ridge Electric’s Board of Directors is that they are members just like you. They live in our communities and care about the same things you do.

Something 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 membership are met. Their most important job is helping ensure your cooperative is positioned to meet your needs for reliable and affordable electricity, now and in the future. Every member

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of your board takes this responsibility very seriously.

Your cooperative’s board also encompasses a good cross-section of backgrounds, skills, and knowledge to represent the membership. They are on a continuous path of training and learning because the utility industry is very complex and is changing rapidly. Each director has achieved their director credentials and Board Leadership Certificate from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). These curriculums, as well as additional training by national and state associations, provide greater understanding of industry issues that affect cooperatives and our members.

As a cooperative, we exist to serve your energy needs at the lowest possible cost and your cooperative is achieving these goals for the membership. Thank you for being involved in one of the most important member responsibilities: election of representatives to serve on your board of directors. Member participation is a cooperative principal and one of the many benefits of being a member of an electric cooperative!

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 have the option to vote during the Annual Meeting, which has changed to a business format to help save costs for members.

It was held Thursday evening, June 12, at the cooperative’s corporate office meeting room in Lenoir.

Directors elected to serve three-year terms were: David Eggers, Caldwell district; Tom Trexler, Watauga district; David Boone, Ashe district; and John F. Wishon, Jr., Alleghany 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.

MEMBERSHIP matters

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Blue Ridge Electric Members Foundation accepting Impact and 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 $100,000 donation contributed by Blue Ridge Electric’s subsidiaries, Blue Ridge Energies and RidgeLink.

Local nonprofit organizations can apply for either the Impact Grant or the smaller Community Grant. Impact Grants are designed to make a large and long-term impact on the community and typically represent project needs in excess of $10,000.

Community Grants are generally smaller projects under $10,000.

The deadline for all grant applications is August 31.

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The Blue Ridge Electric Members Foundation, started in 2007, has provided over $2 million in assistance to members for electric bill assistance and community grants.

For more information about the grant application process, contact Grey Scheer, director of community relations or go to BlueRidgeEMC.com under the “Community” tab.

In 2013, Ashe Memorial Hospital received an Impact Grant totaling $25,000 to assist in the capital campaign to renovate and expand the Emergency Department.

Scam alert!

Blue Ridge Electric is warning members about a national rise in fraud scams targeting utility consumers.

According to officials from utility companies across the nation, energyrelated scams have become increasingly common. Swindlers have been known to impersonate utility companies over the phone to gain access to consumer bank accounts.

Most recently, members have been contacted by individuals saying they represent

Blue Ridge Electric and then insist on immediate payment or risk electric service

disconnection. These members were smart and didn’t give ANY personal infor mation to the caller. Instead, they called their local Blue Ridge Electric

district office to confirm the call was fraudulent and then contacted law

enforcement to report the scam.

If you receive a similar call you’re unsure about, hang up immediately and

call your local Blue Ridge Electric office to check the information.

MEMBERSHIP matters

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Deadline is September 30

Bright Ideas grants help teachers teach and students to learn This year, Blue Ridge Electric will celebrate 20 years of helping teachers teach 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.

Each year, Blue Ridge Electric provides up to $17,000 to fund several grants in each of our four primary districts as well as some Wilkes and 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.

Bright Ideas grants totaling approximately $17,000 will be awarded by Blue Ridge Electric in 2014-2015.

Teachers and administrators are encouraged to access the Bright Ideas application through the Blue Ridge web site at BlueRidgeEmc.com or directly at ncbrightideas.com. The deadline for all applications is September 30.

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

Shop local and save with your Co-op Connections® Card Use your Co-op Connections Card® and enjoy discounts that are offered 365 days a year from over 100 local and national businesses! For example: •

The Peddler Steakhouse: $2 off per person (not valid with any other special, salad bar, or children’s menu)

•

Countryside Inn & Suites: 10 percent off standard rates

(for members outside of the service area.)

•

To report an outage at any time, call one of the number listed above.

Alps Mountain Affordable Hearing Aid Center, Inc.: $200 towards any hearing aid (normal prices)

•

Riverside Canoe: 15 percent off canoe, kayak or tube rental/10 percent off camping cabins

(PowerLine® is an automated account information and outage reporting system.)

OFFICE HOURS: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm, Monday-Friday Night deposit available.

Visit us on the web: BlueRidgeEMC.com

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Co-op members served by Blue Ridge Electric are encouraged to shop locally and support these businesses along with all other local and national businesses already participating in the program. For more information or a complete list of participating businesses, go to BlueRidgeEMC.com > Residential > Member Benefits > Coop Connections Card.

MEMBERSHIP matters

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