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matters MEMBERSHIP

A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FROM BLUE RIDGE ENERGY

March 2020

Beat The Peak: actions and savings add up!

Members participating in Beat The Peak as well as other cooperative efforts are producing positive results!

alerts, members can plan to take a few simple actions during the peak period: adjust thermostats a few degrees, delay using large appliances such as clothes washers and dryers, and turn off any unnecessary lights.

Blue Ridge Energy members participating in Beat The Peak, combined with the cooperative’s other electric demand reduction programs, are generating power cost Even small actions help. Sign up today using one of the savings over half a million dollars. The amount saved in options below!

2019 totaled nearly $550,000, which is 10 percent more than the program savings from 2018.

• Sign up online at: Since wholesale power cost is the single largest utility expense, efforts to reduce this cost benefits members by helping hold down member rates.

BlueRidgeEnergy.com/BTP

• Text BTP to 70216 to receive text alerts • Download our mobile app and enable

The power of joining together is grownotifications ing! Members are signing up for Beat The Peak alerts by text, phone or email at BlueRidgeEnergy.com/BTP. Alerts are sent when extreme temperatures cause energy demand from consumers to reach critically high levels, which are typically a few hours on the coldest winter mornings or hottest summer afternoons.

Beat The Peak is voluntary. By signing up to receive

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perspective From Blue Ridge CEO Doug Johnson

Building for the future I’m pleased to announce that the cooperative’s new corporate headquarters is now complete.

A staff of 75 employees are now in the new location, providing member and customer support for the cooperative’s 77,000 members and some 27,000 customers of the Propane and Fuels business, as well as for RidgeLink, the cooperative’s business-to-business telecommunications subsidiary.

Total cost of the corporate office was $18.5 million and was paid for without debt and will not cause a rate increase.

Before constructing the new building, a cost impact study showed it would be nearly as costly to renovate the over 50-year-old former corporate office, and would likely cause disruption in critical services to members and customers.

The corporate office is the central headquarters for all the cooperative’s services. Some corporate office employees are behind the scenes, supporting line technicians, customer service and all the employees you see in the district offices on a daily basis.

Others provide critical leadership and management services that make Blue Ridge Energy among the best utilities in the nation for its members and customers.

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Let me share insight to the people working in our corporate office: Human Resources, Safety and Administrative: employee staffing, training, development, safety compliance and oversight of the office of strategy management.

Accounting and Finance: purchasing, billing and payments, capital credits, financial and consumer records, financial modeling for the cooperative and two subsidiary companies, building management and capital structure oversight for long term electric facility investments.

Engineering and Operations: electric power plant planning and management (including substations and transmission line upgrades), metering, system mapping for over 8,000 miles of power lines and 32 substations, pole attachment coordination and easement oversight. Manages and monitors power flow 24/7, power supply coordination, right-of-way maintenance, and coordination with line technicians and outside personnel for public and system safety.

Member Services, Public Relations, and Community Relations: assists members and customers, including a 13-person contact center that handles over 10,000 monthly calls, emails and chats regarding every aspect of the

cooperative and its Propane and Fuels subsidiary. Also responsible for member and customer communications and engagement as well as news media and government relations. Provides oversight of the Members Foundation, community grants and donations, and grassroots member committees.

Innovative Energy Solutions: marketing and oversight of programs and services that help the cooperative and its members and customers operate efficiently and be prepared for the future, including programs for solar, electric vehicles, and energy efficiency.

IT: Information technology performs its most critical role in grid security and communications between power lines and substations that help improve reliability, outage restoration, and efficient power plant operations.

IT is also critical in protecting member and customer information and systems including payments, account information, as well as support for all employees.

Propane and Fuels and RidgeLink subsidiaries: these two separate, forprofit subsidiary companies are also headquartered at the new corporate office. Without the two subsidiary companies, member rates would be 15 percent higher. Propane and Fuels see "Building" p. 23

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Proxy Committee and Director Candidate Nomination information Proxy Committee: As part of the director election governance process giving members an option to vote for cooperative directors by mail or Internet, a Director Proxy Committee will be appointed by the Board of Directors at their regular March board meeting.

This committee will be made up of three directors whose terms are not expiring and who are not running for re-election this year to the Board of Directors.

As stated in the cooperative’s Bylaws, the Proxy Committee serves multiple roles for the membership.

First, the committee will cast votes for all members designating their preferences selected on their submitted electronic or paper proxy forms. Secondly, the committee will serve as a proxy for any member wishing to assign their vote for director elections to the committee. Lastly, the committee will cast votes for members who return their proxy but do not make a choice on the voting options.

Director election kits will be mailed, or sent by email to members who have requested to receive this information electronically, on May 27, 2020. The notice of Annual Meeting along with information about board candidates will be part of the director election kit.

Members have convenient options to vote by Internet

or mail and therefore, are not required to attend the Annual Meeting in order to vote for directors. However, members who have not voted by the deadline date of June 17, 2020, or who voted by Internet or mail but wish to change their vote, must attend the Annual Meeting in order to do so. This year's Annual Membership Meeting will be held at the Blue Ridge Energy corporate office on Thursday, June 25, 2020.

Director Candidate Nomination: Members wishing to be considered for nomination to serve on the Board of Directors have two options: the Nominating Committee or Nomination by Petition.

Interested members must first submit a director application packet which is available by contacting Julie O’Dell, chief administrative officer, Blue Ridge Energy, at jodell@blueridgeenergy.com or by calling 1-800-451-5474, ext. 3202.

The completed packet is due by 5 pm, Monday, March 2, when using the Nominating Committee process or by 5 pm, Wednesday, April 1, when using the Nomination by Petition process.

For a complete list of qualifications and requirments to serve as director of the cooperative, please refer to the cooperative’s Bylaws available at BlueRidgeEnergy. com under Company>Board Governance>Corporate Documents or by contacting any Blue Ridge Energy office.

Building the future (continued) provides propane and oil delivery along with propane products such as gas logs, fireplaces, water heaters and more from each of our district office showrooms as well as in Morganton, NC. RidgeLink is helping improve cellular and high speed Internet access through the lighting of dark fiber for businesses providing these services on a retail level.

CEO, Board and Executive Management: Set and oversee strategy to ensure long-term health of the cooperative and the communities we serve; set policy and provide management oversight of all aspects of the cooperative and two subsidiary companies formed to help hold down rates for members.

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The new corporate office completes our 10-year building/renovation efforts, ensuring that we’re prepared and operating to serve a growing base of members and customers, now and for many decades into the future.

Learn more about the new corporate headquarters at BlueRidgeEnergy.com/corporate.

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Lansing Substation complete:

New substation provides improved reliability and capacity to serve members Construction of the new Lansing substation is now complete and the substation is currently energized. The substation will provide improved electric reliability and capacity to serve Blue Ridge Energy members now and as future member growth and power demand requires.

“Owning high voltage transmission lines is rare for a distribution utility, but is necessary to bring electricity to the mountainous service areas of Blue Ridge Energy,” said Alan Merck, chief operating officer. “Member growth and power demand are carefully monitored to determine the optimal time for construction to meet members’ power needs now and in the future.”

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.)

(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.

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The substation replaces two other substations that were built over 50 years ago and had served their lifespan: the Warrensville and United Chemi-con substations. The cooperative will be deconstructing the retired substation sites later this year.

The new Lansing substation is part of Blue Ridge Energy’s long range plan that includes converting 44 kV transmission lines to 100 kV. The conversion to 100 kV transmission lines increases reliability, reduces system losses, and increases capacity to meet power demands of members now and for decades into the future based on current growth trends and projections.

The cost for the property, engineering, site development, and substation construction is approximately $3,400,000, an investment which will pay for itself over time with improved operating efficiencies and meter growth.

Blue Ridge Energyʼs engineers continuously monitor, oversee and plan for the cooperative’s electric plant system so that members are provided with the most reliable and lowest cost electric service possible.

Answering the Census helps local communities The 2020 Census is fast approaching. The results of the 2020 Census will help determine how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding flow into communities every year for the next decade for areas such as: roads, schools, hospitals, housing and human services. It’s important that we all respond to shape the future of our communities. Additionally, individual responses to the 2020 Census are safe, secure, and protected by federal law and can only be used to produce statistics. Learn more at 2020Census.gov.

MEMBERSHIP matters

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