Membership MATTERS
Vegetation Management:
Balancing Power Reliability With Scenic Beauty
The single major cause of power outages is damage to power lines from trees during severe weather such as high winds, heavy snow, ice or lightning.
With over 8,000 miles of power lines to protect, Blue Ridge Energy works yearround on managing vegetation like trees and large brush to ensure members have the most reliable electricity possible. Blue Ridge ranks among the most reliable electric providers in the nation due to both traditional vegetation management and aerial tree pruning.
The aerial method utilizes specially trained helicopter pilots who carefully conduct pruning along rights of way. Trained “spotters” are located on ground level and are in constant communication with the pilot.
Aerial tree pruning is approved by the American National Standards Institute. The process is less intrusive to member property and the environment compared to traditional methods.
As with all vegetation management, members are notified in advance of aerial pruning. Debris is removed from maintained areas, while in non-maintained areas, debris is either left or bush-hogged to the ground.
Our vegetation management program combines several growth control methods that balance scenic beauty with safe, reliable power. For more information, visit BlueRidgeEnergy.com/ROW
Navigating Industry Challenges with Your Best Interests in Mind
As we move deeper into 2026, our commitment remains the same: serving you—our member-owners—by delivering reliable electricity at a price you can afford despite navigating a challenging energy landscape and unprecedented cost pressures.
We all feel the impact of inflation in everyday life—whether it’s buying ingredients for a favorite meal or materials for a home project. At your cooperative, those same pressures have driven up the cost of essential materials we use to keep power flowing. While price increases have slowed, costs remain far above pre-pandemic levels.
Since 2020, we’ve seen unprecedented increases in the costs for materials that make up our system, spanning from the poles and wires you see every day, to transformers and crucial substation equipment. This has had a net impact in the millions over this near six-year span, even trickling down to smaller infrastructure pieces, fuel, and fleet vehicles— critical tools for maintaining our system, and restoring outages, and powering your everyday needs.
Behind the scenes, our team works every day to find solutions that help offset these rising costs without compromising the exceptional service you deserve. Managing these challenges starts with careful planning. Our operations and engineering teams look beyond today’s needs for our members to anticipate the needs of tomorrow. Multi-year work plans identify opportunities to strengthen reliability and resiliency while ensuring projects deliver the greatest benefit to members in a financially responsible way, whether that’s by upgrading
From Blue Ridge Energy CEO Katie Woodle
equipment and systems as they age or ensuring staffing levels for line technicians and field personnel are adequate.
As the energy landscape evolves, we also advocate with policymakers to keep costs down for our members. With energy demand rising—driven by technology and data centers— we push for balanced policies that keep costs in check and maintain access to dependable, around-the-clock power resources.
While we continue efforts to mitigate rising costs to shield members as much as possible, we are innovating and rising to the challenge. You can count on our team to continue looking out for you, carefully planning to meet your needs now and for the future, and delivering on our promise to make life better for those we serve.
Leadership Transition:
Chief Operating Officer Alan Merck will retire in 2027 after 43 years of service in electric utilities, leaving a legacy of operational and member service excellence. Under his leadership, Blue Ridge was consistently recognized for top quartile member satisfaction and reliability ratings, including helping the cooperative navigate the worst natural disaster in its history—Hurricane Helene.
Current Director of Engineering, Mike High, became VP and COO-Elect on Jan. 1, 2026. With 37 years in the industry and 22 years at Blue Ridge, Mike brings a wealth of experience to the position as we continue navigating a challenging energy landscape.
Control Winter Bills: Energy Efficiency Tips
Winter weather can cause your home heating system to work overtime, leading to increased bills. You can help reduce this impact by:
• Checking for air leaks and drafts around your doors and windows, then sealing them with weatherstripping or caulk.
• Close fireplace dampers when not in use, and consider installing insulating curtains to help keep warm air inside.
• You can also save energy by lowering your thermostat a few degrees. Even small adjustments like these can reduce heating costs and improve comfort during the coldest months.
Protection From Scammers
One way to help protect yourself from certain types of utility scams is by enrolling in bank draft. This allows us to automatically draft your account on the due date, and you’ll receive advance notification of the date it will be drafted.
You can rest easy if a scammer contacts you with fake disconnection threats, knowing your bill is paid automatically through a pre-arranged, secure channel. Autodraft payments also eliminate the risk of exposing checks and personal banking info through the mail.
