Powering a Brighter Future

From the time we were formed by local community members, Blue Ridge Energy has been committed to building a Brighter Future for the people, businesses and communities we serve. Our original mission was to bring electricity and new opportunity to our region, and it has since expanded to include the pursuit of new energy solutions, community enrichment and economic development initiatives that provide us new ways to deliver value to our members.

Looking to the decade ahead and beyond, we remain focused on providing you electricity that is reliable, affordable and environmentally responsible. To achieve this low-cost, low-carbon future, Blue Ridge Energy is working with the state’s other electric cooperatives to reach significant carbon reduction goals, targeting a 50 percent drop in carbon emissions from our 2005 levels by 2030, and net zero carbon emissions by 2050. To meet these sustainability goals while upholding our commitments to reliability and affordability, our efforts will be focused in areas that make the electric grid more flexible, efficient, resilient and capable of supporting new energy solutions and the vitality of our communities.

Our commitment to providing members with the lowest cost electricity possible remains strong as we explore and utilize new technologies such as solar energy, battery storage, smart thermostats and electric vehicle charging stations to balance supply and demand on the electric system. We’re also excited about plans to install a utility-scale solar facility to generate and feed solar energy into the grid for the benefit of our members. Once constructed, this system will produce more than 19 million kWh annually that will help control wholesale power costs to keep rates stable.

In addition to powering our communities, we are also contributing to a Brighter Future by empowering those we serve. Concern for community is a hallmark of the cooperative difference, and our commitment to community support has been amplified by the unprecedented circumstances of the past few months. We want to make sure that our communities have the strength to succeed no matter the challenges we face, which is why we continue to offer our “In This Together” COVID-19 relief fund and invest in education grants, scholarships, Rural Economic Development grants and loans in partnership with the US Dept. of Agriculture, and other efforts aimed at improving the daily lives of our members. Because we are located in and belong to the communities we serve, we understand local needs firsthand and remain driven to make a real difference, now and in the years to come.