BEMC and North Carolina Electric Cooperatives are working together to provide A Brighter Future with powerful new services to our members. Because reliable and affordable electricity is so important to our members and our economy, we’re embarking on new ways to preserve reliability and affordability while working towards significant sustainability goals. This means delivering reliable, affordable, low-carbon electricity over a grid that is more efficient, resilient and secure.

We’re using new and existing resources to achieve our goals of a 50% reduction in carbon emissions from 2005 levels by 2030, and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. We’ve spent the last decade reducing our dependence on carbon-intensive power generation, and as a result, our existing energy mix is 55% carbon-free.

Our early investment in emissions-free nuclear energy allowed our members and communities to benefit from the lowest carbon electricity in the Southeast. To meet our goals, we will continue to prioritize nuclear as a key part of our energy future, supplemented by natural gas generation, which can be dispatched quickly when needed. In addition, we are increasingly integrating renewables into our already diverse array of power sources as new technology, such as battery storage, makes renewable energy a more accessible option.

BEMC and North Carolina Electric Cooperatives are testing and evaluating new energy solutions and innovative technologies that, with member participation, will help reduce power costs and make our sustainability goals a reality. They will also give members options to better understand and control their energy use. The cooperative network is coordinating thousands of resources— including solar, microgrids, batteries, EV chargers, and smart thermostats and water heaters in members’ homes—to dispatch generation when it is needed and trim electricity use during times of peak demand.

New technologies are allowing our members to play an important role in shaping the future of the electric grid, and making power more reliable, affordable and sustainable. And that means A Brighter Future for everyone.