Tri-County holds annual meeting
By Staff Reports
Published in News on November 20, 2009 1:46 PM
MOUNT OLIVE -- The Tri-County Electric Membership Corp. held the 69th annual meeting of its members Saturday at Kornegay Arena at Mount Olive College.
About 1,800 people were present, with 850 members registering from Wayne, Duplin, Lenoir, Johnston, Jones, Sampson and Wilson counties.
The three incumbents running for board seats were re-elected: Coolidge Turner of Duplin County and Richard Grady and McKinley Price of Wayne County
General Manager Mike Davis welcomed members to the meeting.
"Tri-County Electric Membership Corp. is a member-driven cooperative committed to providing reliable electric power at a reasonable cost, to offering superior service, and to taking an active role in the supporting the communities it serves," Davis said. "Tri-County Electric Membership Corp. belongs to each of you.
"Just last week, we refunded $991,609.99 to our members in capital credits retirement checks for those who received power from Tri-County in the year 1992. There were 9,526 checks mailed."
Davis explained to those in attendance the new "Touchstone Energy Savers" programs.
"We are introducing these programs to help you save energy and comply with the state renewable energy law. The state law requires power providers to purchase a certain percentage of electricity generated by renewable sources such as wind and solar," he said.
"The mandate also gives co-ops the option of complying by enacting energy efficiency measures. By helping you use energy more efficiently, we will be able to meet our mandates for reducing our dependency on non-renewable resources -- and help you save on your energy bills!"
Davis also told members about the many things Tri-County does for the communities it serves.
Each Tri-County member will be receive a co-op "Connections Card" in their January issue of the Tri-County newsletter, which is now inserted in Carolina Country magazine.
The card is a new Touchstone Energy program that will help members receive discounts on products and services from participating local pharmacies and national businesses.
Since 1994, the cooperative has granted $906,410.31 to 943 teachers in Wayne, Duplin and Lenoir counties through the Bright Ideas Program. Since 2001, employees have helped 307 students with scholarships totaling $139,250. All funds for the employee-funded scholarship program are raised by the employees.
The "Operation Round-Up" program averages 48 cents per month for each member who participates. Tri-County's participation rate is one of the highest in the nation at 95 percent. In the first nine years, $917,059.68 has been given back to non-profit organizations and individuals suffering unusual and unexpected problems.
Davis closed by saying that he, the directors and the employees appreciate the support of all the members who participate in the community activities sponsored by the cooperative.
Tri-County Electric Membership Corporation is a rural electric cooperative serving more than 22,000 members in Wayne, Duplin, Lenoir, Johnston, Jones, Sampson and Wilson counties.