Businesses make financial investments every day in order to keep their operations running smoothly, to stay competitive, to achieve growth strategies and to meet customer expectations. Like all businesses, electric cooperatives must make investments too. The primary difference between a cooperative and other businesses is the purpose of the investment.

Most businesses invest to make money, but when we, the cooperative, make investments, the primary goal is to benefit the members and the communities we serve. The primary investment benefit is better service reliability, which is achieved by utilizing more “smart” equipment, maintaining the vegetation in our right of ways, and using technologies that enable us to isolate and restore outages much more quickly.

We are also investing in advanced metering technology infrastructure and customer information systems in order to help our members have access to detailed energy usage information about their homes, to become more energy efficient and to help them control their electricity costs.

Electric generation utilities are also making significant investments to meet consumers’ demand for power. National electric reliability experts say that the nation may need to build between 1,300 and 1,900 new power plants to meet the expected 43 percent increase in electricity demand over the next 20 years. Other infrastructure  - transmission and distribution lines, substations and other electric plant facilities - are also needed to modernize the nation’s electric delivery system.

French Broad Electric is no different. Much of our system was originally built in the 1950’s and 1960’s and the beauty of this area has led to significant growth in households and businesses since that time. Technology has also exploded and today’s household power demands cannot measure up to the comparatively simple lifestyles of the ’50s and ’60s.  These factors have placed an enormous demand on our electric delivery system, as well as the systems of other electric utilities.

To address the needs and to ensure reliable power, we continually upgrade our distribution lines.  In addition to our day to day operations, our crews are currently upgrading the main three-phase feeder on Jack’s Creek in Yancey County and Rice Creek in Unicoi County.  We have also temporarily added two additional right-of-way crews in an effort to catch up on our normal maintenance cycle that was disrupted when our right-of-way crews were needed to re-claim access to our power lines and to assist in the restoration of electrical service after last winter’s snow storm.

Furthermore, our smart meter project, which will give consumers more energy information, as well as help the cooperative operate more efficiently and aid in our reliability efforts, will be completed by the end of 2011. Over 20,000 smart meters are already installed and activated throughout our service territory.  These new meters will also offer our members the opportunity to use a new pre-payment system, which will allow members to pay for electricity before they use it.   This system will be optional, but will help some of our customers manage their accounts more efficiently.

Our primary responsibility is to manage electric service and reliability investments in a manner that enables members to receive outstanding service at  a competitive and affordable price. It is also a significant part of our mission and a major way we demonstrate our desire to look out for our members’ best interests every day!

Thank You,

Jeff Loven
Email: jeff.loven@frenchbroademc.com


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