EnergyUnited Logo
Close Menu

2021

SUSTAINABILITY

REPORT

Sustainability is more than just green initiatives and eco-friendly behaviors--it's about making long-lasting choices that benefit our comunities and our cooperative for years to come. It's about making savvy business choices so that your bills stay low and our operations stay efficient.

But most importantly, it's about keeping your Every Day, Empowered.

Click here to view this year's report as a flip book!

COMMUNITY SOLAR

You can still enjoy the benefits of using solar energy for your home by relying on our community solar program. This initiative gives members of our community the opportunity to share the benefits of solar power even if they cannot or prefer not to install solar panels on their property. Project participants benefit from the electricity generated by the community solar farm and help ensure a more eco-friendly future. In 2021 we worked to secure land to build our newest solar farm in Davie County and by 2022 we anticipate that more than 10,000 members will be able to take advantage of this renewable energy source.

GOOD BEHAVIOR

This past year we expanded our paperless billing initiative and encourage members who can to make the switch to do so. Sign up to be a part of the movement! We also grew our Demand Response programs of Beat the Peak and Peak Time Perks which is good for the environment and your wallet. In fact, Peak Time Perks members received a total of $85,550 in credits over all and our Beat The Peak program expanded to over 30,000 members.

EV FLEET &
DC FAST CHARGERS

We added two more electric vehicles to our fleet in 2021 and continue to expand our EV charger infrastructure with two more DC fast chargers installed at Banner Drug and McDonalds locations. It shows that we're not just "talking the talk" when it comes to sustainability initiatives, we're walking it too.

TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENTS

Our AMI smart meters and Smart Grid initiatives help us minimize wasted time and energy and get your power on sooner. These technologies allow us to pinpoint the exact outage issue and give us a more holistic viw of energy usage when peak times occur. This real-time feedback is the backbone of our Demand Response programs. Plus, it gives the consumer more detailed data to reduce their own usage, saving money and helping the environment.

DIGITAL WORK ENVIRONMENT

In 2020 we adapted much of our business model to go fully remote and though this decision was originally founded in the need to keep as many employees as safe as possible, it has shown cost and energy benefits for our co-op as well. In 2021 we continued to see the positive effects of this choice. With the majority of our employees working remote, we've cut down on the number of cars on the road saving an estimated 200 metric tons of carbon per year.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

To us, sustainability isn't just about driving electric or offering solar. It's about making sure our communities feel taken care of and secure. One major way we accomplished this over the past year. was by empowering businesses to invest in our counties. The result? More jobs for more people to sustain the quality of life we all deserve.

OUR 2021

ENERGY MIX*

*Does not include off-system sales.

NUCLEAR

Nuclear power reactors do not produce any carbon emissions, which offers a huge advantage over more traditional energy sources. Plus, nuclear energy is incredibly reliable and has the ability to produce energy nonstop.

Putting the Power in

Your Hands

Little changes can make a big difference, and our website, emails, and other digital communications are all great places to get ideas on how to start your relationship with sustainable living. For example: Did you know that making the switch to paperless billing can escalate to big environmental benefits? Read on to learn more!

BEAT THE PEAK & PEAK TIME PERKS

Beat the Peak is a free program that notifies members via text and/or email when there are forecasts for extreme temperatures, a.k.a peak times. Peaks occur when the demand (and cost) for electricity is the highest. When you receive an alert, you'll be encouraged to adjust your thermostat and lightning and to shift the time you use large appliances in an effort to hold down the demand for power. In turn, you will help us reduce our costs by limiting how much additional energy we have to purchase during the peak!

Enrolling in our Peak Time Perks program allow us, your energy services provider, to automatically adjust your smart thermostat to balance our energy savings. At any time during this event of course, you can choose to manually change the temperature, but allowing us to turn your thermostat up or down a couple notches can help our energy grid in meaningful ways. Not to mention, participants are credited $50 on their electric bill when they sign up and an additional $20 each year after that.

EMPOWERING
TOMORROW,

TODAY

As an energy services provider, we have an innate responsibility to provide our members with reliable electricity at a sustainable cost, with the future of our planet and our co-op ever at heart. That is why we continue to invest in renewable and low-carbon energy initiatives to diversify our energy portfolio while keeping our planet, and your pocketbook, green.

back to top button