matters MEMBERSHIP
A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FROM BLUE RIDGE ENERGY
January 2019
Timing is everything when it comes to saving Make reservations to escape the winter cold with an island vacation, and you’ll find it’s more expensive to go during the winter than the summer. Lots of people want to enjoy some tropical sun. But when demand is high, the price goes up. Energy, including electricity, works the same way.
Did you know you can help manage the cost of electricity during peak periods? Blue Ridge Energy makes it easy by offering members free peak notification alerts called “Beat The Peak.” All you have to do when you get the alert is plan to shift the time you use the most electricity. For example, you could start your washer and dryer any time after 9 a.m. this winter. You could do the same for dishwashers. You can also help by switching off unnecessary lights or lower your thermostat a couple of degrees during these hours.
When you use electricity directly impacts the costs associated with providing it. Blue Ridge Energy must be prepared to meet demand and provide energy for our entire membership when it is needed. If Blue Ridge members work together to decrease their power usage (demand) during these winter peak times, typically weekdays between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., some system improvement costs can be deferred or maybe even eliminated. Managing these costs helps keep rates stable for all members.
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By shifting when you use the most electricity, you’ll help reduce the costs associated with providing electricity during peak periods. And that helps keep costs stable, which in turn helps keep rates lower for you and all members. As the saying goes, timing is everything!
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the
perspective From Blue Ridge CEO Doug Johnson
Coming in 2019 Making life better for members and the communities your cooperative serves is the driving force behind everything we do at Blue Ridge Energy! I’d like to highlight some of the projects taking place in 2019. First, we’re continuing a major transmission project upgrade that is required for capacity as well as reliability needs of members in our mountain service areas now and for the next 50 years. The original 17 miles of transmission line that brings electricity from Ashe County to Watauga County was built over 50 years ago. The project also requires a new substation in the Rutherwood community of Watauga County. We’re carefully monitoring this $40 million project because a small rate increase will likely be necessary in October. While we never like to pass along an increase to members and we work to control costs in every way, it is necessary with a project of this magnitude to ensure an aging electric grid is replaced to keep power flowing reliably to members. Helping control costs are your cooperative’s two subsidiary companies: our Propane and Fuels operation and RidgeLink, a business-to-business broadband and telecommunications provider. These two subsidiaries are contributing over $2 million annually in net profit and benefits Page 22
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that go directly to hold down member rates. Members will also have an additional community solar site this year. Details are being finalized and will be announced soon. Members who missed participating in our first four that were fully subscribed in less than a year can sign up on the waiting list at BlueRidgeEnergy.com/solar. Electric Vehicle (EV) incentives are also being rolled out. This includes Level 2 home chargers for members who are EV owners and contact us. A huge local benefit are funds the cooperative secures through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant (REDLG) program. Electric cooperatives partner with the USDA to compete for funding for projects that will make a large impact in local communities. In 2019, your cooperative will apply approved REDLG grants toward retaining Adhezion Bio Medical, LLC, in Caldwell County; Fleetwood Volunteer Fire Department in Ashe County; and a new fire truck for Patterson Volunteer Fire Department in Caldwell County. Blue Ridge Energy has a long history of securing REDLG funding for projects across its service area over the years. I’m pleased to share these member benefits coming in 2019! I look forward to sharing more with you in the coming months and I wish all of our members a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year! MEMBERSHIP matters
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•
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Through snow, ice or gloom of night Mother Nature can present all kinds of challenges to the power delivery system. Here are a few tips to help prepare for extreme weather events and what to do if an outage occurs. Remember that through it all, Blue Ridge is on call for you.
GATHERING SUPPLIES AHEAD OF TIME
Have these supplies on hand in case of a power outage: •
Water: one gallon daily per person
•
Flashlights
•
Canned food/non-perishable items and manual can opener
•
Radio: battery-powered, solar or hand-crank
•
First-aid kit
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A charged cell phone
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Blankets
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Extra batteries
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Multipurpose tool that can act as a knife, file, pliers and screwdriver
•
Medicines: 7-day supply
•
Use the new Blue Ridge mobile app
outage reporting options •
Call PowerLine at 1-800-448-2383
p werline
Search for “Blue Ridge Mobile App” and download it for free on your smartphone or tablet!
to report an outage. 1-800-448-2383
MEMBERSHIP matters
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Vegetation management helps ensure reliable, safe electricity Severe weather that involves ice, wind and lightning, which can result 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.
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Doug Johnson
EDITOR
Renée R. Whitener
PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR
Vegetation management occurs in our rights-of way. What is a rightof-way? It’s a corridor or strip of land along either side of power lines that allows our linemen a safety zone
while building and maintaining the power system 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 rightof-way for this type of line is a total of 30 feet (15 feet on each side). Blue Ridge Energy is a unique cooperative in that we must also build and maintain our own transmission system. These high-voltage power lines deliver electricity from our supplier in the foothills to reach our mountain district members. The right-of-way for these lines ranges from a total of 100 to 250 feet, depending on the voltage
of the line. Many people don’t know that power lines carrying electricity can energize 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.
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
(PowerLine® is an automated account information and outage reporting system.)
Toll Free
(800) 451-5474
(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 Visit us on the web: BlueRidgeEnergy.com +
This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
MEMBERSHIP matters
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2019 director candidate nominee options Members wishing to be considered as a candidate for the Board of Directors 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, chief administrative officer, at jodell@blueridgeenergy.com or 1-800-451-5474, ext. 3202. All application information is due by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 1, 2019, when going through the Nominating Committee process and by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, April 1, 2019, 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 Membership Corporation, please refer to the cooperative’s Bylaws available at any district office or online at www.BlueRidgeEnergy.com. Page 24
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