Tourism might not be the first thing people think of when they hear about an electric cooperative, but we understand how powerful it can be as a boost to our local communities.

Last year, North Carolina was the 5th most visited state for domestic travel, with nearly $37 billion in visitor spending. Nearly 20% of counties — both urban and rural — saw higher- than-average growth in visitors, according to the NC Department of Commerce.

Asheboro, the central home to my co-op, Randolph Electric Membership Corporation (REMC), is one example of how tourism can revitalize a rural region. Considered the gateway to the “Heart of North Carolina,” Asheboro was named a North Carolina Main Street Community in 2020 and has made a focused effort to preserve its historic charm while encouraging local investment, entrepreneurship and foot traffic downtown.

Tourism adds energy to our local economies.

Just a few miles away is one of our state’s greatest assets, the North Carolina Zoo. As the world’s largest natural-habitat zoo, it welcomes nearly a million visitors annually and it provides key support for local lodging, dining, retail and more. To enhance that experience a bit more, REMC partnered with the Zoo to install electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at both main entrances. These stations encourage longer visits, and that ultimately helps give our local businesses a boost.

REMC also helped bring one of the first electric tractors in North Carolina to the Zoo, and we sponsor community events there that showcase emerging energy technologies, such as the National Drive Electric Month event in the fall, where people of all ages get hands-on exposure to electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid automobiles. This event grows larger each year and attracts people from all over the region and beyond. Happenings like these also help strengthen our relationship with the Zoo by reinforcing its mission of environmental sustainability.

You’ll find co-op investments like this all across the state, including through education and outreach — bringing energy education to schools, supporting youth programs and participating in events that celebrate what makes our regions unique. These may not seem like initiatives related to tourism, but there’s actually a strong relationship. These efforts build pride, awareness and connection in our youth that reveals itself in interactions with visitors to rural communities. It also equips our youth for their own travels to areas away from home, making them better ambassadors of rural North Carolina.

So whether someone is attending a county fair, enjoying a walk through a historic downtown area or simply interacting with the good people living in rural North Carolina, tourism adds energy to our local economies. And at Randolph EMC, we are proud to help keep that energy flowing!