The Enlightener

April 2002

Right-of-Way Program Receives National Award

A national organization has recognized Blue Ridge Electric for excellence in environmental preservation efforts while maintaining a systematic right-of-way program that provides members with reliable power.

The cooperative was one of only five electric utilities in the nation to receive the “Lines of Distinction Award” sponsored by AgroSciences, LLC, of Indianapolis, Indiana. The Lines of Distinction award program recognizes companies that provide utility customers with reliable electrical service through the help of well-rounded vegetation control efforts.

“This award recognizes the extra work and planning that goes into a right-of-way program that puts equal value on power reliability and scenic beauty,” said Roger Reid, operations assistant. Reid, who recently accepted the award at a ceremony in Nebraska, said Blue Ridge Electric is committed to enhancing reliability by reducing large trees in rights of way near power lines while encouraging low growing plants and shrubs to thrive, providing scenic beauty and erosion control.

Judges for the Lines of Distinction award gave top rankings to Blue Ridge Electric in the following categories:

Biodiversity – Improving plant and wildlife habitat, as well as aesthetics, on company rights of way.
Stewardship – Attaining high standards for product stewardship, regulatory/environmental guidelines, employee training, public education, landowner communications, and cooperative efforts with cities, municipalities, wildlife groups, garden clubs, commissions, etc.
Operational integrity – Promoting worker safety and service reliability.
Meeting objectives – Achieving business objectives through consistent efforts to deliver uninterrupted power.
Innovation – Implementing innovative vegetation control technologies.

“Blue Ridge Electric’s philosophy represents the dedication and vision that will continue reinforcing the critical role vegetation managers play in keeping the power on nationwide,” says Bob Wesolowski, marketing specialist at Dow AgroSciences. “We are proud to be associated with such outstanding work.”

Members Only News
-For Members of Blue Ridge Electric

www.BlueRidgeEMC.com

Did you know you can use Blue Ridge Electric’s web site to find useful energy information? Just go to www.BlueRidge EMC.com and click on “Products and Services.” Next, click on “Residential” and then select one of several options, including:

The Energy Audit guides you through a customized audit of your home’s energy efficiency. It includes links to an energy library.
The Appliance Usage option provides handy charts to help you quickly estimate monthly operating costs associated with many electric appliances found in your home.
To determine your energy history, you can use “Pay On-Line” to view a 12-month history of your energy usage – and you don’t have to pay your bill online just to view your history. After clicking on “Pay OnLine,” simply input your e-mail address and password (or click on the quick and easy “new user” area if you’re not already signed up). Then click on “View Bill” and scroll down the screen to find your “Monthly Usage” graphs.

Committee Named

The Board of Directors appointed members for the cooper-ative’s Nominating Committee at their February board meeting. The committee will select a slate of candidates to fill four available board seats this year.

Committee members are:

Caldwell: Reba Barlow, Charles Jarvis, Barbara Melton. Alternate: Gene Woods.
Watauga: Brent Graybeal, Joe Isaacs, Pat Rhymer. Alternate: Joyce Rhymer.
Ashe: Sally Walters, John Shepherd, Tana Dixon.
Alternate: Charles Fletcher.
Alleghany: Grace Wilkins, Rose Marie Miller, Wilma Foster. Alternate: Sharon Davis.

Meet the Candidates

You have the opportunity to meet the candidates for your cooperative’s board of directors during “Meet the Candidates” forums being held in each district customer service office on the following dates:

Alleghany County - May 20
Ashe County - May 22
Caldwell County - May 28
Watauga County - May 30

Each forum will begin at 7 p.m.

Photo_CEO Johnson The Perspective

An Editorial by Chief Executive Officer Doug Johnson
An Investment in Realibility

The increase in the basic charge on your monthly electric bill is ear-marked for funding a critical $40 million investment in transmission and reliability upgrades. Effective this month, the basic charge rises from $9.55 to $12.50 for residential consumers.

You may be wondering why these upgrades are needed now and what contributes to their cost. Simply put, we’ve outgrown a system that is aging and will soon be insufficient to carry the power load required by our members.

Much of our system was built in the early 1950s, when Blue Ridge Electric was serving around 12,000 members whose need for electricity was much simpler than today. Now our cooperative distributes power to some 63,000 consumers – a number that grows every year. Also growing are the needs of industrial consumers, who require more consistent, quality power to operate sensitive machinery. We also must meet the demands of a growing residential membership equipped with TVs, VCRs, microwaves, computers and many other devices dependent upon electricity.

The cost of the infrastructure to operate an electric utility is high. Adding to the cost for Blue Ridge Electric is our rocky, steep terrain, making construction and maintenance more expensive. While we’ve had a few years of mild winters, our system must also be built to withstand normally severe winter weather, and be capable of handling heavier winter demand.

And while most distribution utilities can conveniently tap into transmission lines of the utilities that generate electricity because those lines cross into their service area, our closest points of contact are in Wilkes and Caldwell counties. Building, upgrading, and maintaining over 245 miles of transmission lines sufficient to serve our needs is a significant cost.

We have already begun a seven year project to ensure reliability with the Beaver Creek-to-Horse Gap-to-Ore Knob upgrade. Our overall plan touches every district in our service area and will benefit all members.

Growth in any business is a positive sign of strength and vitality. To provide reliable service, we must grow to meet the needs of our members. Our reliability upgrades will provide the necessary infrastructure to serve Blue Ridge Electric members for many years to come.

Mylar Dangers

Mylar (metallic) balloons are bright, shiny, and very attractive to children. But these balloons are also risky around power lines. Never let your children release mylar helium balloons outside. Additionally, they should never use metallic cloth, wire, or tinsel for kite frames or kite string. If these materials, which contain metal, come into contact with power lines, they can cause outages, fires, and possible injury since the metal conducts electricity.

Published monthly by Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation for its 51,573 members.