The word sustainability can take on different meanings depending upon context, but here at Pee Dee Electric, sustainability means delivering reliable, affordable, low-carbon electricity over an electric grid that is increasingly efficient, resilient, secure and capable of supporting the needs of our membersand communities.

For decades, your needs have centered on reliable power delivered at the lowest possible cost; and while those priorities still exist today, we also know our members’ expectations related to clean energy are growing.

Our goal is to achieve all three—reliability, affordability and sustainability—in a balanced approach that makes the most of the tremendous value electricity has to offer and ensures a brighter future for those we serve.

Our Brighter Future vision centers on two voluntary sustainability goals: a 50 percent reduction in carbon emissions from 2005 levels by 2030, and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. We’re pursuing these goals in several ways including:

1 Continued use of multiple power sources. The electricity we provide to you is generated from a variety of power sources that each offer important benefits. Nuclear energy, which is currently used to generate more than half our power, is not only an extremely reliable, safe and affordable source of electricity, but is also emissions free, making it environmentally friendly. We also use natural gas because it’s affordable and can be dispatched quickly when needed, making it a great complement to other power resources, like renewable energy. Concurrently, we are strategically expanding our use of renewable energy.

2 Investments in technology. New technology, such as battery storage, will allow us to increasingly utilize renewable energy sources by making it possible to store energy when demand for it is low and use it later, when demand is high. Future technologies could include the more effective and efficient capture of carbon emissions from non-renewable sources, as well as new ways to match local power needs with local power resources.

3 Innovative energy solutions and programs. Many of the programs like our energy efficiency loans, rebates for heat pumps and water heaters, and electric vehicle rebates aim to make the electric grid more flexible and efficient by managing demand for power; this helps reduce carbon emissions and keeps costs down for everyone. In addition, efforts to use electricity to power devices and processes formerly powered by fossil fuels—like automobiles and agricultural processes—will further cut carbon emissions and support our long-term carbon reduction goals.