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Summer 2007 Newsletter

In this issue:

Participating utilities help to make North Carolina greener

For the nearly 12,000 North Carolinians participating in NC GreenPower, supporting renewable energy generation that benefits the state begins at home - with their local electric utility. The partnership between NC GreenPower and your local utility makes it possible for your NC GreenPower contribution to be billed monthly on your electric bill, as well as helps to promote the program to utility customers across the state.

Electric utilities voluntarily elect to participate with NC GreenPower. As part of their partnership, they agree to offer the program to their customers and collect contributions through their monthly billing process. They then forward 100 percent of those funds directly to NC GreenPower, which, in turn, uses the money to purchase renewable energy that is added to North Carolina's power grid. The billing and collection process is conducted by the utilities at no cost to NC GreenPower. This arrangement significantly reduces operating costs for the program.

Many utilities also offer marketing support to NC GreenPower. Through bill inserts, newsletter mentions, media appearances, and events, utilities offer NC GreenPower increased exposure to customers across the state that might otherwise not have been achieved. And in most cases, as with the billing and collection process, the costs for these activities are borne by the participating utility.

Another area in which electric utilities are involved with NC GreenPower is in working with renewable energy generators to connect their projects to the power grid. All renewable energy generation supported by NC GreenPower is added to the electric grid for customers statewide to use. Each of these projects is connected by a local servicing utility. During the interconnection process, utility staff often work closely with producers to make sure their technologies will provide safe, reliable electricity to the grid.

NC GreenPower currently has 41 electric utilities participating in the program statewide. The partnership bears the distinction of being the first statewide, multi-utility green power initiative in the nation. Participating utilities are categorized into three groups: investor-owned utilities (IOUs), electric cooperatives and municipalities. While they are each unique organizations, their association with NC GreenPower has brought them together in a collaboration to make North Carolina's energy supply cleaner and more sustainable for generations to come.

To find out more about your local utility's affiliation with NC GreenPower, visit their website. Most utility websites can be linked to by visiting NC GreenPower's Participating Utilities list. If your utility's website is not listed, you may also make direct contributions to NC GreenPower. And if your utility is not currently participating, be sure to contact them and ask them to join NC GreenPower in making North Carolina greener.

Nominations being accepted for NC GreenPower Board of Directors

The North Carolina Utilities Commission and NC GreenPower have issued a request for nominations to fill available seats on the NC GreenPower Board of Directors. There are four Board members' seats scheduled to expire on September 30, 2007. One additional Board member recently resigned leaving an additional seat vacant.

The Board seats open for nomination include three representing consumer/environmental interests, one representing solar technology, and one representing small hydroelectric power technology. Current Board members may be nominated for reappointment, but new individuals interested in serving are encouraged to submit nominations as well. The Utilities Commission is also interested in increasing racial and gender diversity of the Board and therefore encourages nominations that will promote that effort.

Interested individuals may nominate themselves or others to be considered for appointment to the NC GreenPower Board of Directors. Applications should contain the following information:

• Name and contact information
• Board position sought
• Brief statement of qualifications or attached resume

Nominations must be signed and filed by U.S. Mail at:

Office of the Chief Clerk of the North Carolina Utilities Commission
4325 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-4325

or by fax at (919) 733-7300. Nominations must be received no later than August 3, 2007.

The NC GreenPower 22-member Board consists of 9 permanent seats and 13 appointed seats. The 13 seats that are open to nomination consist of six representing consumer/environmental interests and seven representing green power technologies. These seats are appointed for staggered three-year terms expiring annually on September 30.

To view the complete text of the Commission order requesting Board nominations, visit the North Carolina Utilities Commission website.