A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FROM BLUE RIDGE ENERGY
matters MEMBERSHIP
December 2019
Member refunds are here! Special member refunds began in November and will continue on your December electric bill. We hope you’re enjoying this member benefit! Blue Ridge Energy is pleased to be able to return $7 million to members as a result of power contract settlements and lower wholesale power costs. All members will receive refunds based on their individual electricity usage. For the average member using 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity each month, the bill credit is around $40 for November and December bills. “We are pleased to be able to pass along savings to all of our members,” said Chief Executive Officer Doug Johnson. “As an electric cooperative, we’re
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not in business to make a profit, but rather to provide service at the lowest possible cost to members,” he explained.
Blue Ridge Energy is returning $7 million to members as a result of power contract settlements and lower wholesale power costs. In addition to the November and December refunds, we recently shared that we did not increase rates in 2019, and now, we are excited to announce that members can expect no rate increase in 2020. Even more reason for Blue Ridge Energy members to celebrate!
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the
perspective From Blue Ridge CEO Doug Johnson
Helping Members: the Cooperative Way The heart of an electric cooperative is putting the needs of its members first. Doing so benefits local communities and individuals we serve — and that’s what a cooperative is all about. In addition to multiple long-term programs and services to benefit members, we also enjoy new and innovative ways of helping members. One example is Blue Ridge Energy’s recent honor of being one of only three state utilities selected by the Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) N.C. Weatherization Assistance Program (NCWAP) for a grant to help low-income members benefit from community solar resources.
lighting upgrades (LEDs), refrigerator/heating/cooling system evaluation and replacement if needed. We’re excited that members in our service area will be among those benefitting from this grant! We’re also excited about the ongoing programs that have helped thousands of members over the years. One example is our Blue Ridge Energy Members Foundation, which has assisted thousands of members with a helping hand for crisis heating assistance through the Operation Round Up program (ORU). ORU also helps the Foundation fund community grants to improve health care, education, senior citizen and youth programs, and economic development.
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Local weatherization assistance organizations in Blue Ridge (l-r) Secretary Michael S. Regan with the N.C. Energy’s service area of Caldwell, Department of Environmental Quality, and Jason Watauga, Ashe and Alleghany Another program that benefits Lingle, director of energy solutions for Blue Ridge Energy, discuss how members will be helped with the members includes involvement counties will select 10 homes to NCWAP grant awarded to Blue Ridge Energy in October. with the federal Rural Economic receive grant benefits that include Development Loan and Grant $3,200 per home to cover the cost of a 17-year subscription to four community solar panels. (REDLG) program to secure federal zero-interest funds Each participant will receive a monthly bill credit for the to improve emergency and fire response, retain and energy generated by the four solar panels, with expected attract jobs, and for health care and other vital resources to help local communities thrive. benefits of approximately $365 per year. Through the Department of Energy and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, these selected members will also receive weatherization services for their homes which can include energy-related health and safety, duct sealing, insulation, air sealing, Page 22
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As a cooperative, we put our guiding purpose “to make life better” at the center of our operations. That means our focus is on you, our members and local communities. I hope you join us in celebrating the cooperative way of helping those we serve! MEMBERSHIP matters
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NEW! Text to report an outage!
Sign up today by texting “START” to 70216 Now you can easily report outages and get updates by text! To sign up, text the word START to 70216. That’s all that’s needed to sign up for this new, convenient service! Then any time you have an outage at your service address, simply text Blue Ridge Energy to report the outage. It’s faster than calling and you’ll even get updates sent directly to your cell phone about the status of your outage until power is restored. However, there are a few very important things to note: •
Be sure your cell phone number is listed on your account. You can check this by logging into your personal account portal under “My Account” at BlueRidge Energy.com or on the Blue Ridge Energy mobile app.
There is a limit of two cell phone numbers per household for this service.
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Outage text messages are processed automatically in our outage reporting system and are not read by a person. If you have a life-threatening or safety emergency, please call us at 1-800-451-5474 to reach a service representative or dial 911.
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You can opt out of outage texting by texting the word “STOPOUT” to the same number: 70216.
We encourage you to sign up for the convenience of outage texting today! For more information, visit us online at BlueRidgeEnergy.com/OutageText. * Disclaimer: While Blue Ridge Energy doesn’t charge for texting, your cellular provider may charge based on your plan.
Bylaws, Service Rules & Regulations updated
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At their regular board meeting held on September 26, 2019, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation’s Board of Directors approved a small number of updates to the cooperative's Bylaws (including changes to Director Qualifications in Section 3.02) and Service Rules and Regulations.
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Redline versions indicating changes as well as final documents are available online at BlueRidgeEnergy.com > Company > Corporate Documents.
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First steps in director elections Members have the opportunity to vote for their Board of Directors each year. To keep you informed of election governance processes that take place throughout the year, your cooperative updates you in this newsletter. Two of the first steps in the director election process include appointing a Credentials and Election (C&E) Committee and a Nominating Committee. The Board appointed these committees for one-year terms at their October meeting.
Credentials & Election Committee Made up of five members from across the cooperative’s service area, this committee ensures director elections are conducted in compliance with Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation’s Bylaws. Responsibilities include: selection of an independent election administration firm, review of petition candidate qualifications, approval of proxy and ballot forms, validation of all proxies and ballots, and certification of election results. The Board of Directors appointed the following committee members: Caldwell district: Keith Money, and alternates Patricia Hollar and Jackie Bradshaw. Watauga district: Bob Hrozencik and Richard Clark, and alternates Stacey Miller and Curtis Main. Ashe district: Travis Richardson, and alternates Patricia Calloway and Andy Sexton. Alleghany district: Linnea Miller, and alternates Kaye Royall and Jim Smith.
Nominating Committee This committee of nine cooperative members reviews and nominates qualified candidates to run for all open seats on the Board of Directors in the upcoming election. The Board appointed the following committee members:
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Doug Johnson
EDITOR
Reneé 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 one of the numbers listed above.
OFFICE HOURS:
8:30 am - 5:00 pm, Monday-Friday Night deposit available. Visit us on the web: BlueRidgeEnergy.com +
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Caldwell district: Robert Marshall and Wanda Prince, and alternates John Hawkins and Libby Killian. Watauga district: Angie Gregg and Grant Mastin, and alternates Allison Jennings and Dan Meyer. Ashe district: Melanie Miller, Shawn Horton and Wesley Barker, and alternates Doug Eller and Mike Farmer. Alleghany district: Kathryn Abernathy and Tom Smith, and alternates Larry Prince and Randy Miles. Members of both committees may not be employees, agents, officers, directors, close relatives, or known candidates to become directors. The makeup of the committee reflects an equal number of members from each district, plus one representative from any district. Candidates nominated by this committee as well as candidates running by petition will be posted in each Blue Ridge Energy district office and on the website in April. Information about all candidates will be included in director election information mailed or emailed to all members in May. Information will also be provided in Carolina Country magazine sent to all members. *Any member interested in becoming a candidate for the Board of Directors should contact Julie O’Dell at jodell@blueridgeenergy.com or call (828) 759-8902 to request a director application packet.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
MEMBERSHIP matters
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