New Blue Ridge Electric Office Will Meet Member and Environmental Needs

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

West Jefferson, North Carolina (August 29, 2008) - The board of directors for Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation has approved plans for a new office to serve Ashe County members—an office designed to more efficiently and safely meet member needs and be environmentally friendly.

“Over the years, Ashe County has experienced tremendous growth,” said Doug Johnson, chief executive officer. “The number of members we serve from our Ashe office has grown exponentially. Development along Mt. Jefferson Road has also increased, which has been good for the economy but is posing serious safety challenges for our line technicians driving large line trucks in and out of our operations area as well as for members using our drive-through window or coming into the office to pay their bill and handle other service with us.”

“There have been significant advancements in energy efficiency since we built the existing office approximately 40 years ago, and we plan to incorporate many of these ideas into our new office,” he said. “We have always worked to be good environmental stewards and now we want to reflect that desire as we build a new office in one of the most beautiful and scenic areas in northwest North Carolina.”

The new office will be located on Highway 163 South, near what is currently the Ashe operations center of the cooperative’s heating fuels subsidiary, Blue Ridge Energies. Construction is slated to begin by mid-September, with completion projected for early 2010.
Energy efficient and environmentally-focused ideas that will be incorporated into the new building include using high efficiency heat pumps to greatly reduce energy consumption. Energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) will be used throughout the building with motion detector light switches to further reduce usage. Offices will also be equipped with individual thermostats in order to avoid wasted energy.

In the parking lot and around the building, “down lights” will be installed to reduce outside light pollution. Low-flow toilet fixtures will reduce water consumption. And an onsite storm water bio-retention pond for storm water management will be incorporated onto the property to help protect water quality and the surrounding environment.

Furthermore, the office will be designated as a nonsmoking building and CO2 sensors will be installed to help control indoor air quality.

The new office has many customer service and safety features, including a wider area for line service trucks to drive in and out with power poles and other large equipment. This will allow for better coordination of crews as well as more efficient response time not only for outages but also for general maintenance and routine work by the line technicians.

The new office will also have two drive-through windows with spacious driving areas.

“Our members have told us that the drive-through window is a very nice convenience, especially for our older members or those just needing a quick, convenient way to pay their bill,” said Gwynita Steele, Ashe district manager. “It is such a popular option that many times in our current office, traffic is backed out into the road. I think our members will be pleased we’re not only continuing to provide this service, but we’re offering it with more convenience and with their safety in mind.”

Blue Ridge Electric also wanted to continue providing another community benefit: the new building will include a community meeting room available for public use. The room can be reserved with a simple advance reservation call to 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 a complete showroom with 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,” added Steele. “In addition to using a combination of wood and rock on the exterior, the interior design will also reflect the natural character of Ashe County.”
Once the new building is constructed and operations begin at the new facility in 2010, Blue Ridge Electric will make its current office available for sale.