Albemarle Soundsis published monthly by

Albemarle Electric Membership Corporation

P.O. Box 69Hertford, NC 27944

(252) 426-5735

Gary Ray, General ManagerChris Powell, Editor

Website and member portal:www.aemc.coop

Outages:1-800-274-2072

24-hour payments: (252) 426-4419

Albemarle EMC is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

We are members of NC 811. Call 811 or 1-800-632-4949

three business days before you plan to dig. They will contact us to locate any underground

electric lines. It’s the law.

May 2019 Proudly serving the members of Albemarle Electric Membership Corporation

Albemarle EMC Carolina Country MAY 2019 21

Issues Discussed with LegislatorsRepresentatives from Albemarle

EMC recently met with state legislators to discuss issues of importance to electric cooperatives.

Chief among the concerns is comprehensive energy legislation. Grid

investments are needed to continue serving consumers with affordable, reliable electricity. The electric grid is constantly changing to keep pace with new technologies as well as consumer

and distributed energy demands.“Grid improvement, modernization

and resiliency are some of the topics being discussed among energy providers and legislators around the state and the country,” said Gary Ray, general manager of Albemarle EMC. “These conversations are necessitated by the changing demands and impacts of distributed energy resources such as solar, wind and battery storage.”

To better ensure affordability is maintained, any legislation pertaining to grid investment should require the Utilities Commission to review grid improvement plans and pre-approve only specific investments deemed reasonable and prudent. Additionally, before review, investor-owned utilities should be encouraged to collaborate with all distribution system operators on a comprehensive, integrated approach to

distribution system optimization. This will create opportunities to reduce the cost of grid operations and optimize the operation of multiple distribution grids to produce additional value for all rate payers.

The future of charging electric vehicles was also discussed. Legislators were asked to support legislation that encourages the growth of an electric vehicle charging network in North Carolina. House Bill 329 allows a third party to install an electric vehicle charging station and resell the electricity as long as the power is first procured from the incumbent utility. Also, the charging station would have to be immobile and could only be used for charging vehicles. Any reseller of electricity would have to adhere to the incumbent utility’s applicable terms and conditions.

Closed for Memorial Day

Albemarle EMC will be closed Monday, May 27, in observance of the Memorial Day holiday.

Chris Powell, coordinator of public relations for Albemarle EMC, (left) discusses legislative issues with Rep. Ed Goodwin.

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Several Grants AwardedAlbemarle Community Trust grants that will benefit the community were recently awarded.The South Camden Fire Department received $2,800 to purchase two Opticom LED emitters. The devices

automatically shift traffic signals so that traffic must yield to emergency vehicles proceeding through intersections.

The Albemarle Pregnancy Resource Center and Clinic received $1,000. The grant will be used to purchase pregnancy tests, specimen collection cups, sexually transmitted disease tests and information brochures.

The Camden County 4-H Foundation received $353 to purchase Makerspace educational materials that teach STEM skills. The teaching

materials will be used in youth workshops and summer programs.The Open Door Food Pantry received $4,000 to purchase food for

the less fortunate. “During 2018 we provided 2,956 households, representing a total

of 7,234 individuals, with 65,106 meals,” said Charles Lacefield, chairman of the pantry’s board of directors. “Over the past 10 years, the number of households served by Open Door has increased 52 percent.”

The Heritage Association received $500, which will be used to pay for advertisement, grounds rental and music for Plow Day and the Heritage Farm Fest. At press time, Plow Day had to be rescheduled, and the new date had not been determined. The Heritage Farm Fest will be held Saturday, June 1 at John A. Holmes High School, in Edenton.

Elizabeth City Pasquotank Public Schools received $1,210.51 to purchase several tourniquets, bags, gauze rolls, gloves and markers to write down the time medical assistance was administered.

The Albemarle Community Trust is funded by members who voluntarily contribute through their power bills.

Certifications Earned

Directors Garry Meiggs, John Spence and Virgie Whitehurst recently earned their Director Gold certification from NRECA.

Largest-Ever Capital Credit Refund Approved by Board

The Albemarle EMC Board of Directors has approved the largest capital credit refund in the history of the co-op.

In an effort to reach the members that have been with us the longest as well as those that are among the newest, this year the Cooperative returned 100% of the remaining margins from 1992 and 1993, and 8% of the margins allocated in 2017, collectively totaling almost $600,000.

If you were a member of Albemarle EMC during these years, you received your capital credits refund in April in the form of a credit on your electric If a member has several accounts, the capital credit system added them together with

the credit posting only on one account. Anyone who received power during the years shown, but is no longer an active member will receive their refund by check. This is why it is so important for you to give us a good forwarding address when you move off our lines.

Capital credits are year-end margins earned by your cooperative, which are allocated to members based on usage.

“We are delighted to be able to return to the members this record capital credits refund,” said Gary Ray, general manager of Albemarle EMC. “This is a big part of what it means to be an electric cooperative member.”

Amber Winslow

From left: Cynthia Harding, Charlie Lacefield, Rosemary Smith and John Christensen.

From left: Kirk Jennings, Juston Cartwright and Larry Glasscock.

Alexandria Huber

Dee Spruce

From left: Dena Banks and Julie White.

How Albemarle EMC works to provide its members with the highest-quality service possible.

Albemarle EMC is at Your Service

Albemarle EMC Carolina Country MAY 2019 23

The Power of Human ConnectionsWhen I first started at Albemarle EMC, one of my first tasks

was to help implement the company’s Christmas toy drive. We didn’t raise much money that first year, but we were able to purchase a few toys for some families who could really use some help. The grandfather of one child who had received toys delivered collard greens to us, picked fresh from his fall garden. I’ve never forgotten the look of appreciation in his eyes when he handed me the box. We had made an impression on this man, and he made one on us, as well.

Electric cooperatives have a slogan, “The Power of Human Connections.” Whoever came up with this slogan nailed it. As a member-owned organization, Albemarle Electric Membership Corporation is woven into the communities we serve. The roots go deep, dating all the way back to the cooperative’s founding. Some in our community can still recall how excited their family was to have power at their home for the very first time. For that generation, it was a seminal event. It meant the end of a harder way of living and the beginning of prosperity coming to a rural region sorely in need.

A year ago, member Wayne Hurdle found some vintage correspondence from the cooperative, while cleaning out the family home place. The letter, dated July 31, 1945 (the same year Albemarle EMC was incorporated), was addressed to Hurdle’s late grandfather H.D. Hurdle. The document was written by an Albemarle EMC board member, notifying Hurdle that power would soon be available.

The letter states: “You have waited for a long time to get electric service at your premises, but now your dream is ready to come true. Your cooperative has been busy for the past several weeks securing rights-of-way for the lines. Our construction contractor is now on the job with several crews, clearing rights-of-way for the lines. He has received several car loads of construction materials. The entire program will proceed just as fast as labor and materials will permit. YOU WILL SOON GET

ELECTRICITY.”Reading this letter, one can’t miss the significance. What

took place then was not about establishing a new business, it was about transforming lives. Wayne Hurdle’s family was gracious enough to donate the keepsake to the cooperative. We are honored to display the framed letter in the lobby of our office.

I can recall another time when co-op member Carlton Boyce donated a copy of “The Electric Cook Book” to Albemarle EMC. Published in 1959, the cook book has Albemarle Electric Membership Corporation printed on the back cover. It was

likely given out to members at an Annual Meeting. It says a lot that a member would hold on to an item such as this, and it says even more that they’re willing to give it back to the co-op for the sake of posterity.

The spirit of cooperation among members often shines brightest during times of difficulty. When disasters strike, our linemen work long hours in challenging situations. It is not uncommon for members to offer linemen food and drink. Members have also offered use of their equipment to assist line crews with stuck vehicles.

The power of human connections also can be experienced during our Annual Meetings. Far from stuffy, these events take on an atmosphere akin to a family reunion. Friends, neighbors and relatives come together to catch up, enjoy some refreshments and see to the administration of their cooperative.

It is not by accident that cooperative employees, directors and members share this deep bond. The cooperative you have

now is the fruit of the hard work and sacrifice of so many who came before us. They built a member-owned, member-run cooperative that is largely responsible for the thriving rural northeast North Carolina you see today. As your co-op moves forward into a rapidly changing future, it will do so with the understanding that the cooperative is not so much in the power business, as it is in the people business.

Member Carlton Boyce shown with a vintage Albemarle EMC cookbook that he donated to the co-op. The book was likely given to members at an Annual Meeting.