EnergyUnited
| Company type | Electric cooperative |
|---|---|
| Industry | Electricity distribution |
| Predecessor | Crescent Electric Membership Corporation, Davidson Electric Membership Corporation |
| Founded | October 1, 1998 |
| Headquarters | Statesville , United States |
Area served | North Carolina, United States |
Key people | R.B. Sloan, Jr. (CEO), Wayne Wilkins (COO) |
| Products | Electric service, Internet service, Propane, Home security, Long-distance telephone service |
EnergyUnited, based in Statesville, North Carolina, stands as the state's largest electric cooperative, catering to close to 125,000 metering locations and 105,000 members. The cooperative was formed in 1998 following the consolidation of Crescent Electric Membership Corporation and Davidson Electric Membership Corporation.
EnergyUnited
EnergyUnited Electric Membership Corp. emerged on October 1, 1998, through the unification of Crescent Electric Membership Corp. and Davidson Electric Membership Corp., initially providing services to nearly 90,000 customers across 18 counties in North Carolina. The chosen name, EnergyUnited, signified ambitions for growth beyond traditional electricity offerings. Leadership roles were assigned with Crescent’s R.B. Sloan, Jr. appointed as CEO and Davidson’s Wayne Wilkins as COO. This merger created North Carolina’s largest electric cooperative and placed it seventh nationally among approximately one thousand cooperatives. Although cooperative power costs tended to be higher, EnergyUnited’s rapidly expanding service regions indicated promising customer growth and an anticipated 5% reduction in rates. The merger was expected to yield $38 million in savings over a decade without any job eliminations or office shutdowns.
In 1999, EnergyUnited introduced EnergyUnited Internet, Inc., a for-profit internet service provider.
After legislative changes in 2000, EnergyUnited acquired the majority of All Star Gas’s operations within North Carolina for $20 million, marking its entry into the propane industry with David Meacham overseeing the new division. That same year, the company launched HomeVantage security services featuring alarm systems and carbon monoxide detectors.
By 2001, EnergyUnited had ventured into long-distance telephone services. Collaborating with LecStar Telecom from Atlanta, it expanded these offerings statewide by 2003, serving approximately 4,500 telephone clients.
On November 12, 2010, EnergyUnited revealed a $6 million solar energy facility near Taylorsville, capable of powering between 150 and 200 homes. Initially developed alongside SunEdison and later operated by Duke Energy, EnergyUnited procures solar energy from Duke. Additionally, the cooperative obtains electricity from a biomass facility located at Iredell County’s landfill, which provides power to around 3,000 residences.
Crescent Electric
Crescent Electric Membership Corp., headquartered in Statesville, North Carolina, was established in 1971 through the merger of Cornelius Electric Membership Corp., serving 6,000 customers, and Davie Electric Membership Corporation with a customer base of 12,000. By 1998, Crescent had grown to serve more than 53,000 customers across several counties including Alexander, Cabarrus, Catawba, Davie, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Rowan, Wilkes, and Yadkin.
Davidson Electric
Based in Lexington, North Carolina, Davidson Electric Membership Corporation served more than 36,000 customers by 1998 across the counties of Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, Montgomery, Randolph, Rockingham, and Stokes.