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08 TWENTY TWENTY ONE
MATTERS
Keeping costs low
Why Beat The Peak?
Looking for an easy way to keep costs down for yourself and all members? Blue Ridge Energy’s Beat The Peak program is for you! Participating is simple and voluntary! Sign up to receive the alert of your choice — text, email, or mobile app notification— to let you know when a peak will occur. Then, take action to help “Beat The Peak” by shifting some of your electricity consumption outside of peak hours. Peaks occur when a majority of people are using the most electricity in a short amount of time and power producers must generate enough electricity to meet that demand. In our area, this is usually between 2-7 p.m. on the hottest weekdays of summer. If members voluntarily reduce their electricity usage during peak demand times, it can make a big difference in controlling expensive wholesale power costs to keep rates — and bills — low. It can even help delay the need to build power plants!
Did you know...member participation in the Beat The Peak program has helped save almost $1.5 million in wholesale power costs, which helps keep rates low! Join the movement today. Sign up by texting BTP to 70216 or at BlueRidgeEnergy.com/BTP.
BEAT THE
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Perspective $ 6 Million Coming to Member s in August! Blue Ridge Energy is giving members $6 million in credits on August bills as a result of the cooperative’s portion of funds received from Duke Energy’s final coal ash settlement approved by the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) for Duke’s retail customers. The settlement with the NC Attorney General, NCUC, and the Sierra Club resolves how Duke will pay to clean up its coal ash. Last year, Duke Energy announced the largest coal ash cleanup in national history with the utility to excavate the majority of its remaining coal ash at 14 coal plants. That effort encompasses the removal of 124 million tons of coal ash.
From Blue Ridge CEO Doug Johnson
received from our wholesale power provider as result of this settlement. Blue Ridge Energy strives to operate efficiently while adhering to our mission of providing high-quality and reliable electricity at the lowest possible cost. We’re working to minimize cost increases by implementing technologies that make our system more efficient, and through other cost-saving measures, including working with our wholesale power provider. Giving $6 million to members is reason to celebrate! We hope you enjoy your money back through bill credits on your August bill!
The retail settlement reduces Duke’s ability to recover from its customers the full cost associated with coal ash cleanup and is considered a “win” for Duke Energy customers. Blue Ridge Energy is a wholesale customer, purchasing wholesale power from Duke Energy Carolinas and we have a provision in our wholesale power contract with them that provides retail parity regarding coal ash costs and this settlement agreement. While Blue Ridge Energy doesn’t own any coal plants, environmental regulations related to the management of coal ash and its clean up impact the price all North Carolina utilities pay for wholesale power. We’re very pleased to be able to give members the funds
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How to lower summer energy bills Costs for cooling your home can make up a large portion of your summer electric bills. We strive to provide the lowest cost electricty and these tips can help keep your bills lower:
No-Cost Tips
Low-Cost Tips
• Close blinds and drapes during the day to keep heat out.
• Plant trees and shrubs that shade the exterior of your home in summer.
• Set your thermostat as high as comfortable when you’re home (and higher when you’re away or during a Beat The Peak alert period).
• Replace disposable air filters monthly (or according to your manufacturer’s guidelines).
• Turn off lights and ceiling fans when you leave a room.
• Use solar lighting to brighten up walkways. • Replace light bulbs with LED versions.
• Air dry dishes and clothes. • Use a microwave instead of your range or oven. Or, grill outdoors!
What is the top cause of outages? If you answered this question by saying trees coming into contact with power lines, you would be right! In fact, trees contribute to over half of our outage time. That’s why your cooperative has a dedicated, year-round vegetation management program, overseen by two certified arborists, to help protect electric reliability across 8,300 miles of power lines on the Blue Ridge Energy system. Balancing reliability with the beauty of scenic western North Carolina is also important. That’s why we contract with two certified arborists to oversee the program. Keeping trees away from power lines is an important safety precaution. Trees and other objects that come into contact with power lines can become energized, leading to shock or electrocution. Even fallen power lines can still be energized, which is why no one but
our line technicians should ever go near a downed power line. A clear path for power lines creates a safer working environment for line technicians, whether they’re performing routine maintenance or power restoration. Members can help by avoiding planting trees near power lines. For existing trees that are directly in the cooperative’s rights-of-way, Blue Ridge Energy helps with removal and also with replacement by giving members a voucher for a low-growing species at local, approved nurseries. Vouchers may also apply to a larger tree that is planted farther from rights-of-way. For more information, contact Blue Ridge Energy or visit the Resources tab at BlueRidgeEnergy.com.
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Board Update Nearly 6,000 members voted in this year’s director elections, thanks to convenient options of voting by mail or internet. Members could also vote at the cooperative’s corporate office in Lenoir during the annual meeting held June 24. Directors elected to serve three-year terms were: Kelly Melton, Caldwell district; Joy Coffey, Watauga district; Cindy Price, Ashe district; and Mitch Franklin, Alleghany district. Updates of annual meeting reports are online at BlueRidgeEnergy.com. At their regular June meeting, your Board of Directors elected the following board officers: Jeff Joines, president; Johnny Wishon, vice president; Kelly Melton, secretary-treasurer; and J.B. Lawrence, assistant secretary-treasurer.
Teachers: apply now for up to $20,000 in Bright Ideas grants! Blue Ridge Energy is celebrating 26 years of lighting up learning in classrooms through the Bright Ideas education grant program. Teachers in K-12 classrooms with innovative ideas for creative learning projects can find and submit an application by visiting ncbrightideas.com. The deadline is September 15 and winners are announced in November. Blue Ridge Energy will provide up to $20,000 to fund Bright Ideas grants in the cooperative’s service area! Individual grants are awarded at a maximum of $1,500. Bright Ideas grants are designed to fund innovative classroom projects that benefit students and would not otherwise be funded by regular school budgets.
Visit us on the web: BlueRidgeEnergy.com CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Doug Johnson EDITOR Renée R. Whitener PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR Jacob Puckett
Membership
DISTRICT OFFICES (828) 754-9071 Caldwell (828) 264-8894 Watauga (336) 846-7138 Ashe (336) 372-4646 Alleghany (800) 451-5474 Wilkes (800) 448-2383 PowerLine* *PowerLine is an automated account information and outage reporting system.
TOLL FREE
(800) 451-5474
OFFICE HOURS: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM Monday - Friday Kiosks available
MAT TERS
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