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The Year in Review: 2010
The year in review The 2010 Work Plan and Budget proved to be a valuable tool, as the co-op's board and management sought to navigate this most-recent calendar year. Although the economic recession continued to grip the Blue Ridge service area, it still proved to be a year of progress and accomplishment.
Safety & training — The Blue Ridge workforce completed all of 2010 without a single lost-time accident. As this report goes to press, the co-op is approaching the milestone of two years of accident-free service. As a result of this outstanding record, Blue Ridge received our Statewide Association's President's Safety Award at the end of 2010. A safe working environment assures that employees will return home unharmed each night; but co-op members also benefit from a lower cost of operation when employees work safely every day.
Financial — All possible steps are being employed to reduce expenses and maintain rate stability in the current year, while meeting our other financial goals. Wholesale power costs continue to be the co-op's greatest expense and continuing challenge. By employing advanced technologies for better planning and execution of the co-op's work, savings have been realized through a reduction in the work force, which was achieved through normal retirements and attrition.
Construction & maintenance — Crews undertook and completed 74 line-construction jobs enumerated in the co-op's 2008-12 Engineering Work Plan. A total of 48 miles of existing power lines were upgraded. Service quality and organizational efficiencies are benefiting from these improvements to the Blue Ridge distribution system.
Service reliability — A total of 1,192 miles of rights of way were addressed in 2010, either with applied herbicides or through mechanical clearing. More than 1,000 hazard trees were also removed from across our 6,700-mile system of power lines. In addition to providing members with more dependable service, our well-maintained rights of way are cutting costs long term for the co-op.
Economic development — In 2010, Blue Ridge worked closely with economic-development organizations in Anderson, Greenville, Oconee and Pickens counties to bring jobs to our area. Co-op representatives met with new business prospects to encourage their investment in our communities, while supporting established local entities as they continued to provide employment opportunities for our members.
Customer service — With 5,000 Advanced Metering Infrastructure units having been installed and tested on the Blue Ridge system last year, the co-op will initiate 20,000 additional installations beginning in 2011. Members are benefiting from the enhanced efficiency the AMI system is providing and will see even greater future advantages, as all the units' service options are employed.
Capital credits — Last year, the co-op returned more than $600,000 in capital credit refunds to members. Scheduled payments in 2011 will be approximately $1,000,000 for margins earned in 1984 and 1985. This means that all members who received power during those two years will be mailed capital-credit refund checks this month. This 29th straight annual disbursement brings the co-op's total return of capital-credit refunds to more than $19 million.
Community service — Blue Ridge members were introduced to the Co-op Connections program in May 2009, and to date have realized $638,000 in pharmacy discounts through use of their Co-op Connections Card. These savings benefit each member directly through discounts received at his or her local participating pharmacy. Hundreds of co-op members and households, along with other community recipients, received much-needed help from the record proceeds of the 13th annual Blue Ridge Fest. Planned and conducted by Blue Ridge employees, the 2010 event raised $151,000 that was distributed among 13 charities that assist with basic needs such as utilities, rent and food. In its 13 years of existence, the fundraiser has generated $1,103,000 and has provided funding to more than 25 local charitable organizations.
Blue Ridge directors are determined to support policies and actions that will result in the delivery of quality service to you, and at the lowest-possible price. Those continue to be our twin goals, as we confront the opportunities and challenges that are ours in the years ahead.
Annual financial statement
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