matters
A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FROM BLUE RIDGE ENERGY
MEMBERSHIP
One of the most important features of the new office is a "weather hardened" dispatch and operations center, which is the hub for monitoring safe, reliable electricity flow — from power delivery in the foothills and high voltage transmission to mountain districts serving distribution substations and power lines to reach homes and communities. This area also serves as dispatch and coordination with line technicians and other technical personnel in the field, which is especially critical during storms and outages.
SEPTEMBER 2018 Next generation corporate office for cooperative and two subsidiaries
Blue Ridge Energy plans new corporate office Marking a new era for the electric cooperative that first brought electricity to Caldwell County in 1936, Blue Ridge Energy is beginning construction on a new corporate office to replace the original facility which was built half a century ago. We serve 76,000 electric members across seven counties in northwest North Carolina. The cooperative began expanding in 1998 after acquiring the propane and fuels subsidiary company that now serves 29,000 customers in the co-op’s service area, as well as Catawba and Burke counties and parts of Virginia. The cooperative further expanded in 2009 with a telecommunications subsidiary, RidgeLink, LLC, which provides dark fiber network and co-location services to businesses such as cellular providers, municipalities, health care and education institutions in North Carolina and Tennessee. “Blue Ridge Energy’s corporate office is the hub for member and customer operations for all three of our companies and the services we provide,” said Chief Executive Officer Doug Johnson. “We’re excited that the new facility will meet the needs of a growing member and customer base for the next 50 years or longer,” he added. Cooperative management and the Board made the decision to build after estimates for renovating the current 50-year-old building came in close to the cost for a new
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building. Other considerations included the fact that new construction will pose minimal disruption and will be complete in approximately 18 months. The new building will not affect rates, as costs have been carefully planned and spread out over the next 30 years, requiring no debt for the new facility. The $18 million project will be located in front of the current corporate office at 1216 Blowing Rock Boulevard. Completion is projected for first quarter of 2020. Headquarter operations space will increase from a current 32,000 square feet to 48,000 square feet. Engineering, technology, system communications, safety, human resources, community and public relations, innovative energy solutions and accounting teams are also housed in the corporate office as well as much of the technology infrastructure for the cooperative and its two subsidiaries. With four district offices renovated or constructed in the past 13 years, the Blue Ridge Energy headquarters building marks the last of a company-wide building modernization effort to meet the needs of future generations of consumers, employees and growth of Blue Ridge Energy and its subsidiary companies.
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the
perspective
How members benefit from our subsidiaries When your cooperative first diversified in 1998 by adding a propane and heating fuels subsidiary, which we now operate under the shared market name of Blue Ridge Energy, it was to benefit members and keep your bills as low as possible. That was also the goal when we added a second subsidiary in 2009: RidgeLink, LLC, which leases high-capacity fiber to broadband and wireless service providers. Our subsidiaries are benefitting members and the customers they serve in several important ways.
through their contributions. Last year, Propane and Fuels and RidgeLink donated $50,000 to the Members Foundation to be used for crisis heating assistance and community grants to improve health care, education, elder and youth services, and more.
Photo by Todd Bush
From Blue Ridge CEO Doug Johnson
Our propane and fuels subsidiary also leases space to provide showrooms in each of the cooperative’s district offices where you can visit to receive expert advice and purchase products such as hearths and gas logs, space heaters, backup power generators, water heaters, outdoor fire tables, patio heaters, custom grills, outdoor furniture and more!
In addition to providing local jobs to strengthen the economy in our service area, profits earned by the subsidiaries are used to keep your electric bills as low as possible. In As members, it’s important for 2017, our subsidiary companies you to know about your subsidproduced a combined net benefit Caldwell district’s hearth and home showroom of $2.2 million to the cooperaiary companies. We hope you tive: $1.1 million from Propane join us in our excitement to and Fuels and $1.1 million from RidgeLink, all of which pursue continued growth in order to increase their helped keep member rates stable and as low as possible! benefit to you and all members by helping keep rates as low as possible and contributing to the local quality of life in our communities Our subsidiaries also benefit local communities
Visit your local Blue Ridge Energy showroom today! Talk to one of our energy experts about the home and hearth products available for your home’s comfort and beauty. Go online to learn more: BlueRidgeEnergy.com/showrooms.
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MEMBERSHIP matters
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Photo by Todd Bush
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For the best service . . . Please contact us any time you change your telephone number, e-mail or mailing address. This helps us provide you with the best member service experience, especially during outages or when you need us. It also ensures timely delivery of important items such as your capital credits refund!
Renewable energy charge decreasing The NC REPS charge on your bill will decrease beginning on September bills. This charge is for the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard law passed by the 2007 North Carolina General Assembly. It requires all utilities to generate and distribute more electricity from renewable resources and to encourage energy efficiency by their consumers. This year, members will see the following monthly changes starting on September bills: the residential fee will move from 79 cents
MEMBERSHIP matters
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to 44 cents; the commercial fee will move from $3.47 to $2.44; and the industrial fee will move from $23.34 to $16.33. Your cooperative has coordinated with its wholesale power supplier to meet North Carolina’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard. Currently, 10 percent of Blue Ridge Energy’s electricity consumed by its members is now produced from renewable resources. (This is in addition to the cooperative’s community solar production).
Do you have money waiting? To help our members or former members receive refunds due to them through the cooperative’s capital credits retirements, all unclaimed capital credits are listed on our website. To check the list, visit BlueRidgeEnergy.com/unclaimed and enter the name/company name and city you’re interested in. Unclaimed capital credits are funds waiting for those whose capital credits checks were returned to us as “undeliverable” by the post office. This is an important reason to always contact us any time your address changes. If you are on the list, please contact us, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Proof of identity will be necessary to receive the refunds.
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Converting rights-of-way to wildlife habitats
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Doug Johnson
EDITOR
Renée R. Whitener
PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR Susan Simmons
Enhancing the natural beauty of western other pollinators. North Carolina while ensuring reliabilMembers qualify for funds only if they ity electricity for members is why Blue contact Blue Ridge Energy’s vegetaRidge Energy has made available funds tion management to help convert staff and receive rights-of-way to approval prior to wildlife habitats. the start of their project. Up to $500 per acre is available Programs like this to members who not only benefit the have cooperative rights-of-way on environment and improve appeartheir property in ance, they also wooded or other help ensure reliable qualifying areas. electricity for memThe funds are to bers and give line help offset costs technicians a safe the member pathway when working on power lines. would incur to remove trees and plant certain types of grass, low-growing Visit BlueRidgeEnergy.com and shrubs, wildflowers and other vegetaclick on the “Resources” tab for more tion to attract wildlife such as rabbits, information. turkeys, birds, deer and honeybees and
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