Mast General Store Recognized for Support of Renewable Energy by NC GreenPower and Blue Ridge Electric

For Immediate Release

Contact: Renee Whitener, Director of Public Relations, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, (828) 758-2383, Ext. 3213; Pager: 1-800-471-1323; or E-mail: Renee Whitener

Valle Crucis, North Carolina (November 13, 2006) – Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation and NC GreenPower recognized Mast General Store today for its support of renewable energy. Appreciation awards were presented to Mast General Store’s Vice Presidents Fred and Lisa Martin as a result of Mast’s recent affiliation with NC GreenPower, the state’s landmark renewable energy initiative.

As NC GreenPower’s new partner in its quest to increase renewable energy generation in North Carolina, Mast General Store, the popular mercantile family of stores headquartered in Valle Crucis, N.C., has announced that they will sponsor the NC GreenPower program at the Partner level. Mast General Store, serviced with electricity locally by Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, will purchase 3,600,000 kWh per year from renewable energy sources through NC GreenPower. The purchase will help to offset the electrical usage of the stores across their family of stores. By offsetting the electrical consumption of their stores with green power, Mast General Store is creating important reductions in emissions and providing positive benefits to the environment.

Their participation in the NC GreenPower program is consistent with their commitment to preserving the natural and cultural heritage of Western N.C. and surrounding regions. Established in 1883 in Valle Crucis as a general mercantile, Mast General Store carried goods ranging from plows to cloth, and even caskets. The store quickly earned the saying among customers that “If you can’t buy it here, you don’t need it.” That tradition continues today, not only in the Valle Crucis original store, but also in other Mast General Stores in Boone, Waynesville, Hendersonville and Asheville. Additional stores have also been opened out of state in Greenville, South Carolina, and Knoxville, Tennessee.

Since its beginning, Mast General Store has been a part of the communities that it has served. In addition to selling goods, it has functioned as a community gathering place for more than a century, as well as a post office and doctor’s office. In the 1970’s, Mast General Store was named to the National Register of Historic Places, representing one of the last examples of a working old country general store.

Today, Mast General Store continues their tradition of offering a variety of quality mercantile goods, clothing, footwear and outdoor gear for visitors and residents who frequent North Carolina’s High Country. The store is also committed to serving the community and protecting the region’s natural heritage. The store annually engages in conservation education and activities including their Land Trust Day, which works to educate consumers on land issues and raise money for the preservation of America’s land heritage.

Mast General Store’s sponsorship of NC GreenPower continues the traditions which began more than a century ago. The store’s annual purchase of renewable energy will offset approximately 750,000 pounds of carbon dioxide, which would have been emitted from a coal plant producing the same amount of power. Environmentally, the annual reduction of this potent greenhouse gas is equivalent to planting 57,000 trees or more than 900,000 miles not driven by automobiles in the state. Mast General Store’s contribution to NC GreenPower will also support the growth of renewable energy supplies across the state as well as the industries that support them. Their efforts to promote cleaner energy alternatives through NC GreenPower are not only improving the environment, but helping to preserve the past by protecting the future.

Blue Ridge Electric and other participating utilities across the state partner with NC GreenPower to make it convenient for consumers—both residential and business/commercial—to support renewable energy through their contributions to NC GreenPower. Blue Ridge Electric members can call or sign up on line to elect to make contributions to NC GreenPower by having it added to their monthly power bill. Blue Ridge Electric forwards the full amount of the contribution directly to NC GreenPower each month.

As the nation’s first statewide not-for-profit initiative to encourage development of more renewable energy resources, NC GreenPower utilizes contributions to encourage renewable energy development and to increase the amount of green power on the state’s energy grid.

For more information about NC GreenPower, visit www.ncgreenpower.org. Blue Ridge Electric members may sign up for NC GreenPower by visiting BlueRidgeEMC.com or by calling their local Blue Ridge Electric office. In Watauga County, the number is 264-8894.

Information about Mast General Store can be found at www.mastgeneralstore.com. Or call 1-866-533-NCGP for more details.