In Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, the word "scrappy" is defined as "having a determined spirit." I believe that description could be applied, in a positive way, to Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative and to many other organizations that are part of the co-op family.

One of the areas in which scappiness can manifest itself is that of government relations. Be it at the local, state or federal level, Blue Ridge will not hesitate to intercede with government officials when the well-being of our members is at stake.

Unfortunately, in today's business environment, electric cooperatives, investor-owned utilities and municipal power systems alike are looking on with concern at recent rulings being considered in Washington D.C. These public proclamations would carry the consequence of shutting down certain baseload generating facilities while making it more difficult to build new power plants. If allowed to stand, these directives will lead to more blackouts, higher costs and uncertainty for families and businesses.

Consequently, Blue Ridge is staying in regular contact with our senators and congressmen. Creating the laws that govern our state is an important and often difficult task. These men and women have been elected to do what is best for our state and that includes Blue Ridge and all our members.

Fortunately, we have a delegation that supports our mission to operate as a competitive provider of energy services. They understand that cooperatives are here to do good and serve others. We applaud their efforts throughout the year to look out for the best interests of our members and thank them for always being willing to meet and discuss the issues most important to us.

Much attention was given this year to the South Carolina Energy Security Act, which is co-op supported because it secures our energy future in South Carolina. Promoting energy efficiency and renewable, it also allows for a joint construction project to build a natural gas plant in the lower part of the state. If our state continues to grow as projected, we will be facing an energy shortage in the future. This bill has been assigned to a conference committee for further consideration. Be assured that your co-op will continue to play an active role in the energy decisions made that affect our ability to serve you.

I'm also pleased to point our that an avenue now exists for you to lend your voice to this and other related issues.Go to the Voices for Cooperative Power (VCP) website at voicesforcooperativepower.com. There you can join with other co-op members to communicate your perspective. You'll have the opportunity to stand up for the ability of your co-op to deliver affordable and reliable services to you and your neighbors. In addition, you will receive regular VCP updates that explain how you can be involved.

You can be assured that we will continue to be actively involved in decisions being made that affect our industry. Additionally, we are looking for ways to control over those costs. Together, we have the power to shape a more cost-effective energy future.

Jim Lovinggood

President and CEO