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Getting to Know Your Co-Op

EnergyUnited Electric Membership Corporation (EMC) is the largest electric cooperative in North Carolina and one of the largest in the United States and serving nearly 130,000 metering points. Headquartered in Statesville, EnergyUnited provides electric service in portions of nineteen counties in west central North Carolina. Counties in the service area include Alexander, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Catawba, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Gaston, Guilford, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Randolph, Rockingham, Rowan, Stokes, Wilkes and Yadkin. EnergyUnited serves electric power over approximately 195 miles of transmission, 8,100 miles of overhead distribution and 4,300 miles of underground distribution lines. Today, the cooperative serves more than a quarter million people  and provides for a peak electric demand of more than 735,000 KW.

EnergyUnited provides electric service over a geographically diverse area ranging from rural, hilly farmland in the north to dense suburban areas in the Charlotte and Piedmont Triad areas in the south and east. The load EnergyUnited serves is predominantly residential along with a growing group of industrial customers in a variety of industries (manufacturing, textiles, water treatment, etc.). The service area is separated into four North Carolina regions (Foothills, Lake Norman, Triad, and Yadkin River) with offices in Cornelius, Denton, Lexington, Madison, Mocksville, Statesville, and Taylorsville.

In addition, EnergyUnited provides propane service through its subsidiary, EnergyUnited Propane. EnergyUnited Propane consists of 13 retail outlets, providing service to residential, commercial and industrial customers in 63 North Carolina counties and 11 South Carolina counties. Today, EnergyUnited Propane serves more than 25,000 customers and averages between 10 and 11 million gallons annually, with variances primarily related to heating degree-days. EnergyUnited Services Corporation is owned by EnergyUnited and is governed by a 4-member board providing oversight to EnergyUnited Propane business.

EnergyUnited also provide non-regulated “Energy Related” Services to residential, commercial & industrial customers consisting of Energy Monitoring & Management, Bill Management (utility), Surge Suppression sales and Specialty utility products.

With roots dating back to the late 1930s, EnergyUnited was formed in 1998 by the consolidation of two strong, community-minded electric cooperatives, Crescent EMC and Davidson EMC. The cooperative is named “EnergyUnited” for appropriately descriptive reason: the word “Energy” defines the core service to member-customers and “United” shows that the cooperative is owned, composed of, and actively supported by its members. As a cooperative, EnergyUnited is owned by its electric members, who in turn elect a nine member board of directors who serve three-year terms and meet monthly at the Headquarters office in Statesville.

EnergyUnited Vision

EnergyUnited will be the leading energy services provider

EnergyUnited Mission

EnergyUnited is a member-owned business committed to delivering reliable energy services at competitive prices to improve the quality of life of its customers and communities

EnergyUnited’s 4 Core Values

Safety:
We are committed to protecting the safety of our employees, members and the communities we serve. To achieve this, we will provide ongoing training for our employees as well as creating a safety culture promoting awareness that safety is a top priority.

Integrity:
We conduct business in an honest manner. We place trust in each other, and through a collaborative effort, decisions affecting all aspects of our business are made, and full cooperation to support these efforts is expected. Employee, member and supplier opinions are valued. Faith and confidence in the organization, honor, trust, respect, treating others the way we want to be treated, doing what is right, and leading by example are standards of integrity which drive our company.

Commitment:
We are dedicated to our members, customers, employees, communities and to ourselves. We do what we say we will do. We will maintain our tradition of citizenship and service with actions that demonstrate care for the people and communities around us. We will work to create an environment that nurtures employee pride, self-esteem and a productive workforce. Continuing and open communications are encouraged and endorsed.

Excellence:
We continually strive to improve our products and services. To prosper both as individuals and as a corporation, we give our individual best and personal commitment to maintain the highest standard of excellence in all that we do.

7 Cooperative Principles

Voluntary and Open Membership
Cooperatives are voluntary organizations, open to all persons able to use their services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership.

Democratic Member Control
Cooperatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting policies and making decisions.

Members’ Economic Participation
Members contribute equitably to, and democratically control, the capital of their cooperative.

Autonomy and Independence
Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled by their members.

Education, Training, and Information
Cooperatives provide education and training for their members, elected representatives, managers, and employees so they can contribute effectively to the development of their cooperatives.

Cooperation Among Cooperatives
Cooperatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the cooperative movement by working together.

Concern for Community
While focusing on member needs, cooperatives work for the sustainable development of their communities.

The Cooperative Difference

Electric Cooperatives Are…

• Private independent electric utility businesses
• Incorporated under the laws of the states in which they operate
• Established to provide at-cost electric service
• Owned by the consumers they serve
• Governed by a board of directors elected from the membership from the membership, which sets policies and procedures that are implemented by the cooperatives’ professional staff
• Most electric co-ops are distribution cooperatives that deliver electricity to the consumer. Some are generation and transmission cooperatives (G&Ts) that both generate and transmit electricity to meet the power needs of distribution cooperatives.
• In addition to electric service, many electric co-ops are involved in community development and revitalization projects, e.g., small business development and job creation, improvement of water and sewer systems, and assistance in delivery of health care and educational services.

What Makes Cooperatives Different?

• Cooperatives are operated to provide at-cost electric service to their consumer-members as compared to investor-owned utilities, which are operated to maximize profit for the shareholders.
• A co-op’s net margin above expenses and reserves does not belong to the utility; it belongs to the individual consumer-members of the co-op. The margins must either be used to improve or maintain operations or be distributed to the co-op’s consumer-owners.