New Blue Ridge Electric Office Opens

West Jefferson, North Carolina (June 21, 2010) – A new district office and operations facilities to serve Ashe County Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation members is now open at 2375 Hwy. 163, West Jefferson.

An open house is planned for July 20 but operations started today in the new location. The former office and facilities on Mt. Jefferson Road will be sold with proceeds going toward the cost of the new facility.

“The new facilities provide a safer, more efficient operational environment for both employees and members”, said Doug Johnson, chief executive officer.

Over the years, Ashe County has experienced tremendous growth and the number of members served from the Ashe district office has grown exponentially. Development along Mt. Jefferson Road has also increased, which created serious safety challenges for line technicians and contractors driving large service vehicles in and out of the cooperative’s operations area. Safety was also an issue for members driving in and out for drive-through window service or coming into the office.

“We worked with our vendors to come up with a cost effective building that would be easy to maintain, energy efficient, and hold up well over time since we want it to last for many years into the future,” said Johnson. “It is also designed to blend in with the natural, scenic, beauty of Ashe County and meet environmental requirements.”

The new facility will also allow efficient response to outages and other member service needs, especially since Ashe County serves as the hub for the cooperative’s transmission system providing electricity to some 52,000 members in Ashe, Watauga and Alleghany counties. It has appropriate space to accommodate loading and dispatching large equipment, tools, and materials necessary for electric utility maintenance, outage response and service work.

The new office also features two drive-through windows with spacious driving areas—a service option widely used by Ashe County members.

The facilities are also energy efficient and environmentally-focused. In front of the office, a storm water bio-retention pond for storm water run-off management helps protect water quality and the surrounding environment. The bio-pond meets all requirements of the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Inside the building, high efficiency heat pumps reduce energy consumption and energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) are used throughout the building with motion detector light switches to eliminate unnecessary usage. Offices are equipped with individual thermostats to further avoid wasting energy.

In the parking lot and around the building, “down lights” reduce outside light pollution.

Blue Ridge Electric also wanted to continue providing a community benefit as it has done over the years: included in the new office design is a community meeting room available for use by civic groups. Qualified groups should call ahead to discuss reservations and check availability with the district office.

In addition to serving electric members, customer service for the cooperative’s wholly owned heating fuels subsidiary, Blue Ridge Energies, will also be offered from the new office. The new building features gas logs, fireplaces, heaters, and other gas products offered through Blue Ridge Energies.

Cooperative employees are excited about the improved customer service and safety options of the new office as well as incorporating energy efficiency measures and materials into the construction of the building.

“We’re also pleased the building is being designed to fit into the natural, scenic beauty of Ashe County,” said Gwynita Steele, district manager. “It’s been carefully planned and constructed to serve our members well for many years into the future.”