The Enlightener

August 2006

New Co-op ConnectionsSM Program
Offers Value to Members

Blue Ridge Electric has launched a program that offers further proof that being a member of an electric cooperative has its advantages. The Co-op Connections program, a new card-based member benefit program for Touchstone Energy® cooperatives, is designed to deliver added value to cooperative members. Blue Ridge Electric is implementing this program in conjunction with other Touchstone Energy co-ops serving 17 million member-owners nationwide.

A free offering for co-op members and participating businesses, the program benefits cooperative members by offering valuable discounts at participating local and national businesses. Businesses benefit from increased customer visits by co-op members and free promotions.

Blue Ridge Electric members will receive Co-op Connections cards in the mail this August. Once the member has signed the back of the card, it may be used at participating businesses locally and nationwide. To find participating businesses, visit www.BlueRidgeEMC.com and click on the Co-op Connections card icon. New businesses can join at any time, so check regularly for updates.

Additionally, participating businesses will display the Co-op Connections stickers in their windows or at their cash registers. Whenever a Co-op Connections cooperative member shows their card at a participating business, they receive a discount.

“The Co-op Connections card is a valuable tool that creates an even greater sense of membership and reinforces Blue Ridge Electric’s longstanding commitment to community,” said Renee Whitener, director of public relations. “While keeping the lights on is our number one priority, we are also committed to bringing additional value to our members and the communities we serve. The Co-op Connections program is another way we can accomplish that goal and help demonstrate how we’re looking out for our members and communities,” she added.

Co-op Connections Participating Businesses

OUTLET SHOPPING
Tanger Shoppes on the Parkway, Blowing Rock: Get a free coupon book at the Tanger management office in the center of the outlet beside Parkway Café for 10% to 20% savings at the Shoppes’ businesses listed below:

Banana Republic Factory Store
Bassa
Big Dog Sportswear
Claire’s
Corningware Corelle Revere
Dressbarn
Gap Outlet
Geoffrey Beane
High Country Apparel
Izod
Kasper
Kilwin’s Chocolates, Fudge & Ice Cream
Kitchen Collection
L’eggs Hanes Bali Playtex
Nautica
Nine West
OshKosh B’Gosh
Parkway Café
Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store
Rack Room
Sunglass Hut
Socks Galore
Van Heusen
Michael’s Gems & Glass
Vitamin World
Welcome Home

FOOD
Bojangles, Jefferson
Burger King, Sparta
Burgiss Barn, Laurel Springs
Grapestompers.com, Laurel Springs
Makoto’s of Boone, Boone
Pepper’s Restaurant, Boone
Subway (3 locations), Lenoir
Sweet Tooth Bake Shop, Sparta
Texas Roadhouse, Hickory
The Peddler Steak House, Boone
Thistle Meadow Winery, Laurel Springs

LODGING
At Your Wit’s End Vacation Rentals, Blowing Rock
Baird House Bed & Breakfast, Valle Crucis
Best Western Blue Ridge Plaza, Boone
Best Western Mountain Lodge, Banner Elk
Country Inn & Suites, Boone
Dog House Resort (a B&B for people and their dogs), Jefferson
Doughton-Hall Bed & Breakfast Inn, Laurel Springs
Granny’s Old House, Sparta
High Country Inn / Boone Rental Cabins, Boone
Mountain View Lodge & Cabins, Glendale Springs
New River Farm House, Jefferson
Smoketree Lodge, Banner Elk

CLOTHING
Footsloggers Outdoor and Travel Outfitters, Blowing Rock
Hogwaller Outfitters, Lenoir, NC
Lucretia’s Fine Children’s Apparel, Gifts and Furniture, Blowing Rock
South’s Specialty Clothiers, Boone

JEWELRY
Babb’s Jewelry & Design, Lenoir
Garon’s Jewely & Repair, Lenoir
Montesino North Carolina Bracelet Company, Boone
Saslow’s Jewelers, Boone

HOME
Appalachian Gallery & Frame Shop, Boone
Ashe Carpet & Tile, West Jefferson
Blue Ridge Energies, Lenoir, Boone, West Jefferson, Sparta
Creekside Electronics, Inc., Boone
Jo-Lynn Enterprises, Inc. (cleaning and restoration), Vilas
RL Roten Woodworking, Crumpler
Sherwin-Williams Company, Lenoir
Stout’s Country Hearth, Sparta
Western Carolina Electrical Supply Co., Lenoir, Wilkesboro

HEALTH AND BEAUTY
A Touch of Harmony (Massage Therapy), Lenoir
Alps Mountain Affordable Hearing Aid Center, Inc., Boone
atmospherez, LLC (natural home, bath & body products), Boone
Boone Drug, Boone (3 locations)
Avery Pharmacy, Linville
Blankenship Pharmacy, Johnson City, TN
Crossnore Drug, Crossnore
Deerfield Healthcare Center, Boone
Foscoe Pharmacy, Boone,
Medical Arts Pharmacy, Lenoir
Mountain City Pharmacy, Mountain City, TN
Village Pharmacy, Blowing Rock
Changes Salon, Boone
Chili & Company Salon & Day Spa, Lenoir
Little’s Health and Fitness Center, West Jefferson
Mary-Kay Cosmetics (Tracy Brown), Boone
Quest 4 Life, Lenoir

BUSINESS SERVICES
Anything Office, LLC, Lenoir
Eagles’ Wings Enterprises (accounting / web services), Blowing Rock
EB Wall & Associates (advertising agency), Lenoir
Forbes Printing, Lenoir
High Country Signs (specializing in sandblasted wood signs), Boone
nickgreene.com (web services), Hudson
Transcal Graphics (high resolution graphics / digital printing), Hickory

RECREATION
Deer Creek Golf Park, Galax, VA
Kelly’s Sports & Awards, Hudson
Magic Mountain Mini Golf (seasonal), Boone
Mystery Hill, Blowing Rock
RiverCamp USA, Piney Creek
Riverside Canoe, Crumpler
Zaloo’s Canoes, Jefferson

SPECIALTY
Ana Maria’s Gift Shop, West Jefferson
Harrisburg Trade and Loan, Lenoir
Hunters Ridge Boarding Kennel, Sparta
Lee’s Trees, West Jefferson
Mine by Design, Lenoir
Mount Jefferson Motors, Jefferson
Photography by Mary Beth Hege, Boone
Wildcat Flea Market, Deep Gap

System Information Integration Will Help Better Serve You

With the ultimate goal of better serving our members, Blue Ridge Electric is undergoing a major software systems upgrade that will fully coordinate and integrate all of our information. In addition to helping us operate your cooperative more efficiently, the upgrade will improve our ability to quickly and comprehensively serve our members –whether it’s with identifying and responding more quickly to outages or simply answering a question about your bill or service when you call. The integration of our information means that all our systems – geographic that pinpoints our poles, wires, substations and meters, member information, financial reports, dispatch operations, automated telephone services and more – are linked and sharing the same information.

As we complete the integration process over the next few months, we appreciate your patience as our employees begin using new software as part of the integration. While extensive training is being conducted and employees are preparing for the conversion, we appreciate your patience should minor delays occur when you call or come by our offices.

To help speed the process and improve service, we ask that you bring your bill with you when you visit our offices or have it handy as a reference.

The Perspective

An Editorial by Chief Executive Officer Doug Johnson

Energy Policy Act

Last year, Congress passed the Energy Policy Act of 2005 which, among other things, amended the Public Utilities Regulatory Policy Act (PURPA). The objective of this change in law is to provide greater encouragement for the conservation of energy, to make more efficient use of electric utility facilities, and to help ensure equitable rates for consumers.

At Blue Ridge Electric, we believe the objectives of energy conservation and efficiency are important components of our nation’s long-range energy policy.

As part of our commitment to begin a dialogue with our members about the new PURPA standards, I have listed below the standards along with a brief overview of each standard. Over the next several months, we will commence a consideration and determination process for each standard. This process will include the opportunity for member input and will lead to a decision on the appropriateness of implementing the standards at Blue Ridge Electric. Our decision to implement each standard will be based on our studies and the input we receive from members. The decisions will also be presented in writing to the public through this newsletter and by official notice.

The standards include Net Metering, Time Based Metering, Interconnection, Fuel Source Diversity, and Fossil Fuel Generation Efficiency.

Net Metering allows consumers to sell any excess power generated by a system they own to the utility and offset electricity from that utility during the applicable billing period.

Time-Based Metering offers consumers a time-based rate schedule for their power consumption that reflects any rate variances the utility incurs in purchasing wholesale power for the specific time of day the consumer utilizes the power.

Interconnection means that any consumer who has their own generation system may connect to the local distribution utility’s system.

The last two standards, Fuel Source Diversity and Fossil Fuel Generation Efficiency, apply to utilities with generation facilities. Because Blue Ridge Electric is a distribution utility and does not generate our own electricity, we will be working with our wholesale power providers on these two standards. Fuel Source Diversity is designed to ensure the energy sold to consumers is generated using a diverse range of fuels and technologies, including renewables. Fossil Fuel Generation Efficiency encourages utilities to do just that: increase the efficiency of their fossil fuel generation plants.

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 establishes a long-range energy policy for our nation and we believe it provides a good framework that will help meet its objectives of energy conservation and efficient electric utility facilities. To fully consider the standards of the Act as well as the views of our member-owners, Blue Ridge Electric will be announcing and conducting member meetings in the coming months. We look forward to your participation in this process.

Holiday Closing

Blue Ridge Electric offices will be closed Monday, September 4, in observance of Labor Day. Have a safe and happy holiday!

Published monthly by Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation for its 52,522 members