Blue Ridge Electric Joins Coop Effort to Bring Renewable Energy to NC
Contact: Renee Whitener, Director of Public Relations, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, (828) 758-2383, Ext. 3213; or E-mail: Renee Whitener
Lenoir, North Carolina (August 17, 2009) – Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation has joined the state’s electric cooperatives in partnering with QVC, one of the world’s largest multimedia retailers, to install a 1-megawatt solar energy facility at the QVC Rocky Mount, Inc distribution center in Rocky Mount, NC.
Blue Ridge Electric joined the other cooperatives in an effort coordinated under GreenCo Solutions, Inc., a “green” cooperative owned by the majority of North Carolina’s electric cooperatives including Blue Ridge Electric.
“We’re pleased to be a part of helping develop the renewable energy resources available here in North Carolina,” said Doug Johnson, chief executive officer of Blue Ridge Electric. “We believe solar will be an important part of the mix of resources necessary to meet the electricity needs of our state.”
Blue Ridge Electric will purchase Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) from the project. Power generated from the facility will be put on the grid for use by North Carolina consumers.
Under the state’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (REPS) electric cooperatives must obtain up to 10 percent of their energy through renewable resources or energy efficiency measures by 2018.
Other key players in the QVC venture included Southern Energy Management, which built the facility, and SunPower Corp., which developed the SunPower® Tracker technology, capable of capturing up to 25 percent more energy than fixed solar systems.
“Solar energy has promising potential for our state,” said Bob Goodson Chief Operating Officer of GreenCo Solutions. “The QVC project exemplifies how private industry, local cooperatives, and GreenCo Solutions are working together to bring advanced solar technologies to the marketplace, resulting in an increase of clean energy for North Carolina’s consumers.”
Blue Ridge Electric is a member-owned electric cooperative serving some 73,000 members in northwest North Carolina. For more information, visit www.BlueRidgeEMC.com.
