Cooperative North Carolina

Blue Ridge Elec Member Corp - (NC)

81min
SAIDI 2023
1.08
SAIFI 2023
79,982
Customers

What This Utility Data Tells You

Blue Ridge Elec Member Corp - (NC) is a member-owned electric cooperative operating in North Carolina under EIA identifier 1889. It reports service to approximately 79,982 customer accounts and generated about $0.14 billion in annual electric revenue, with a service footprint spanning 49 ZIP codes. As a cooperative, its governance is accountable to its ratepayer-members rather than shareholders, which often shapes rate-setting and reinvestment priorities.

In 2023, the average Blue Ridge Elec Member Corp - (NC) customer experienced 80.9 minutes of power interruptions — a metric called SAIDI (System Average Interruption Duration Index). That places this utility well below the 120–180 minute national benchmark, signaling strong grid hardening and fast restoration practices. SAIFI — the average number of outage events per customer — was 1.08 for the same period, so customers statistically faced roughly 1 distinct interruption that year. Excluding major event days (hurricanes, ice storms), SAIDI drops to 69.5 minutes — the gap between that figure and the headline 80.9 reveals how much weather, not day-to-day infrastructure, drove outages.

The EIA dataset includes 4 years of continuous reporting (2020–2023) for Blue Ridge Elec Member Corp - (NC), which lets you see whether reliability is trending up or down rather than judging from a single snapshot. SAIDI has increased from 75.4 to 80.9 minutes, which may reflect either worsening weather exposure or delayed grid modernization. All figures on this page come directly from EIA Form 861, the federal annual electric power industry survey, with service territory ZIPs sourced from OpenEI — you can cross-reference them with your own utility bill or use them when comparing providers before relocating.

SAIDI

81 min per year

Average outage minutes (2023)

SAIFI

1.08 interruptions/yr

Outage frequency (2023)

Customers

79,982

Served in North Carolina

SAIDI vs. National Average (180 min) 20.2%

81 minutes per customer per year

Blue Ridge Elec Member Corp - (NC) SAIDI

Minutes without power per year (2023)

81 SAIDI81 SAIDINat. avg 120120SAIDI81SAIDI

Excellent

Reliability Trend (2020–2023)

Year SAIDI (min) SAIDI nMED SAIFI Customers
2020 75.4 69.4 1.020 76,487
2021 88.7 62.3 1.036 77,169
2022 121.5 79.4 1.460 77,995
2023 80.9 69.5 1.080 78,930

SAIDI nMED = SAIDI without major event days. Source: EIA Form 861.

Service Area

Blue Ridge Elec Member Corp - (NC) serves 49 ZIP codes in North Carolina.

27017270242860128604286052860628607286112861228615286172861828622286232862428626286272862928630286312863328635286382864028643286442864528646286492865128655286572866128663286652866728668286722867528679286812868328684286852869128692286932869428698

Frequently Asked Questions

How reliable is Blue Ridge Elec Member Corp - (NC)?

Blue Ridge Elec Member Corp - (NC) had a SAIDI of 80.9 minutes in 2023, meaning the average customer experienced about 81 minutes of outages that year. This is below the national average, indicating above-average reliability.

What type of utility is Blue Ridge Elec Member Corp - (NC)?

Blue Ridge Elec Member Corp - (NC) is classified as a Cooperative serving North Carolina. Electric cooperatives are member-owned nonprofit utilities, typically serving rural areas.

What does SAIDI mean for Blue Ridge Elec Member Corp - (NC)?

SAIDI (System Average Interruption Duration Index) measures the average total minutes per year that a customer of Blue Ridge Elec Member Corp - (NC) experiences power outages. A lower SAIDI indicates better reliability. The national average is roughly 120-180 minutes per year, so comparing Blue Ridge Elec Member Corp - (NC)'s SAIDI to that benchmark shows whether this utility is above or below average.

How many customers does Blue Ridge Elec Member Corp - (NC) serve?

Blue Ridge Elec Member Corp - (NC) serves approximately 79,982 customers in North Carolina. Customer count can affect reliability metrics because larger utilities may face different infrastructure challenges compared to smaller ones.

How has Blue Ridge Elec Member Corp - (NC)'s reliability changed over time?

Blue Ridge Elec Member Corp - (NC) has 4 years of reliability data (2020-2023). SAIDI has remained relatively stable over this period. Review the trend table above for year-by-year detail.

What is SAIDI without major event days?

SAIDI "without major event days" (SAIDI nMED) excludes outages caused by hurricanes, ice storms, and other catastrophic weather events. It better reflects day-to-day infrastructure reliability rather than vulnerability to extreme weather. Both standard SAIDI and SAIDI nMED are shown in the reliability trend table above.

Utility Profile

Type
Cooperative
Customers
79,982
Annual Revenue
$0.14B
EIA ID
1889
Data Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration Form 861 annual electric power industry survey. ZIP service territory from OpenEI.

Related

Data sourced from official EIA reliability statistics and OpenEI utility rate database. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainUtility Editorial

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Form 861. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.