2017 01 bre mm

January 2017

matters MEMBERSHIP

A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FROM BLUE RIDGE ENERGY

Temporary rate reduction continuing through March The temporary rate reduction is continuing through March 2017. Members are receiving a monthly reduction of $9 for each 1,000 kilowatt hours used (the typical monthly residential usage).

“As a cooperative, it’s important to us to keep our members’ electric bills as low as possible,” said Chief Executive Officer Doug Johnson. “It’s especially important during the winter months when usage rises due to heating needs.”

Blue Ridge has been able to provide members with a

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temporary rate reduction for the past 13 months — and for three months each year in 2014 and 2015 — due to wholesale power costs not rising as steeply as forecasted as well as reduced operational costs achieved by the cooperative. By March, the rate reduction will have saved members a total of $26.8 million in costs they did not have to pay on electric bills since it was first implemented in 2014.

After March, rates will revert back to 2013 levels and are expected to remain stable until 2018.

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the

perspective From Blue Ridge CEO Doug Johnson

A team of trusted energy advisors Being your trusted energy advisor for all your energy needs is a big part of our transformation as Blue Ridge Energy.

energy generated by our solar gardens to have a portion of their home’s energy produced from a clean, renewable resource.

As we expand to offer you more innovative energy solutions, we’re also training our employees. You’ll have a team of energy advisors — in our offices, phones and online — to answer your questions. We’ll even have staff or certified contractors to install new internet-connected devices and appliances and advise you about how to use them for maximum benefit.

Another program is our Energy Saver Loan. We work with local home energy auditors to help identify causes of high bills. Blue Ridge can loan you up to $7,500 to add insulation, improve air and duct sealing or even replace your HVAC system. We also offer Smart Rebates for weatherization improvements and energy efficient appliances like refrigerators, freezers and high efficiency heat pumps.

Whether you want to go solar, save money on your bill or protect your home from costly, unexpected repairs, Blue Ridge has a program for you. Make us your first call for anything energy; we’ll provide the information and help you make life better.

For example, did you know Blue Ridge is making solar simple and affordable for all members? By the time you read this, we’ll have four community solar gardens completed. Instead of the high upfront cost and maintenance of rooftop solar, members can subscribe to the

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Online, you can find your own personal energy advisor under the “My Account” tab at BlueRidgeEMC.com.

Our free tool is customized to your home, your usage and your specific needs to save a lot or a little.

We’re even offering Utility Shield insurance to protect your home’s wiring, plumbing and certain home equipment from damage not covered by homeowner’s insurance.

As your cooperative and propane and fuels subsidiary integrate to better serve you as Blue Ridge Energy, it’s all for the purpose of delivering greater value. We’re here as your trusted energy advisor offering a growing array of powerful solutions and products for our members and customers!

MEMBERSHIP matters

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Members Foundation 2016 grant recipients Alleghany County Blue Ridge Developmental Day Center

$15,000 For necessary facility improvements and additions to comply with emergency preparedness standards for NC-regulated childcare facilities.

Solid Rock Food Closet

$10,000 To increase serving to 100 additional children through the weekend backpack program. Over 600 children have been identified as “at risk for hunger.”

Ashe County Helton Township, Inc.

$15,000 Funds will be used to upgrade the outdated ambulance/community buildings to improve efficiency and community appearance.

Pond Mountain Volunteer Fire and Rescue

$9,766 To provide thermal-imaging cameras to ensure the health and safety of firefighters during structure fires.

Caldwell County Helping Hands Clinic

$5,000 To support two separate programs: Urgent Care Clinic and High Risk Diabetic Clinic.

Koinonia, Inc.

$3,000 Funds to purchase and install a HVAC unit to cool the common areas that serve as an area of socialization for the residents.

Oak Hill Development, Inc.

$1,500 To upgrade and beautify the 34-year-old park that serves this rural community.

South Caldwell Christian Ministries

$2,000 For food purchases for six new mobile food pantries.

Caldwell Senior Center

$2,500 To help fund the Medication Assistance Program — an interface between doctors, drug companies and low-income seniors.

Watauga County Community Care Clinic

$3,000 Funds will support two off-site clinics to help eliminate barriers to accessing health care for these Sugar Grove communities.

Hunger and Health Coalition

$2,500 Funding for the food pantry and pharmacy program to assist families in need.

Children’s Council/Watauga Co.

$2,000 To help families with barriers (transportation, medical needs, school/crisis supplies) preventing educational opportunities provided by the Children’s Council.

OASIS

$2,000 To help fund utility deposits for emergency situations involving domestic violence.

Watauga County Library

$1,000 To fund the program “Look Up to the Stars” and to continue three free libraries located in rural areas of the county.

Western Youth Network

$2,000 To expand mentoring programs to include school-based and community-based programs.

Multi County SECU Family House

$3,734 Funds will be allocated to help High Country families and caregivers traveling to Forsyth County for healthcare.

IMPACT Grants W.A.M.Y

$25,000 To provide weatherization assistance to members who don’t qualify for our loan program or their government assistance program.

Caldwell Memorial Hospital Foundation

$25,000 Assistance for total renovation efforts worth $20 million. Combined with corporate donation.

Total $130,000 The Blue Ridge Electric Members Foundation was formed to help members participate in the cooperative’s mission of helping local communities in its service area. Foundation funds are used in two ways: first, to provide crisis electric and fuel bill assistance to members coordinated through local helping agencies and secondly, to provide grants to local non-profit organizations for projects that help sustain and build quality of life. Funding comes from members participating in the cooperative’s Operation Round Up® and Operation Round Up Plus® programs, member-donated capital credits, as well as contributions from the profits of the cooperative’s two subsidiary companies.

MEMBERSHIP matters

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2017 director candidate nominee options Members wishing to be considered as a director candidate nominee have two application options: the Nominating Committee process or the nomination by petition process. Interested members must complete and submit a director application packet by contacting Julie O’Dell‑Michie, chief administrative officer, at jmichie@blueridgeemc.com or 1-800-451-5474, ext. 3202.

All application information is due by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 1, 2017, when going through the Nominating Committee process and

by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, April 3, 2017, for those seeking nomination by petition. Nominations by petition must include signatures of 20 or more members with a minimum of five from each of the four directorate districts with a requirement that each signature is the name that appears on their electric service bill.

For a complete list of qualifications to serve as a director of Blue Ridge Electric, please refer to the cooperative’s Bylaws available at any district office or online at www.BlueRidgeEMC.com.

Resolutions deadline 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

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

The deadline for members to submit resolutions to be considered for presentation at the cooperative’s 2017 Annual Meeting is Friday, February 24. 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 membership.

A Resolutions Committee will review submissions for their compliance

with the Resolutions Policy. At the Board’s 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.

(for members outside of the service area.)

To report an outage at any time, call PowerLine at (800) 448-2383.

OFFICE HOURS: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm, Monday-Friday Kiosk available 24/7 + Night deposit Visit us on the web: BlueRidgeEMC.com +

This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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Petition filed to protect member assets The cooperative has filed a petition with the North Carolina Public Utilities Commission (NCUC) for fair and adequate compensation for use of the cooperative’s power poles by Charter Communications.

The petition seeks to protect the value of the members’ assets by determining a fair pole attachment fee for attaching to the cooperative’s power poles. Charter and other cable companies attach cable TV lines and equipment to the power poles of cooperatives and other utilities without the responsibility to purchase,

install, or maintain the poles.

As a not-for-profit cooperative whose members fund the assets and operations of their cooperative, Blue Ridge is seeking fair and appropriate compensation as well as reasonable terms and conditions for attaching equipment to cooperative poles.

The NCUC is the assigned legal entity to determine appropriate pole attachment rates in the event entities cannot agree upon contract rates, terms and conditions.

MEMBERSHIP matters

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