Wake Forest, NC--- Wake Electric recently awarded 40 $25 Visa gift cards to area students who received at least one "A" (or its equivalent) on their report cards through the co-op's "Give Us an A" program.

Due to recent changes by the United States Treasury in how savings bonds are purchased, Wake Electric began giving the $25 gift cards instead of savings bonds so students can purchase a $50 savings bond through www.treasurydirect.gov with their gift cards. These awards are part of a drawing held three times a year.

Students in any grade in Durham, Franklin, Granville, Johnston, Nash, Vance and Wake counties are eligible to apply.

Funding for the "Give Us an A" program is made possible by Wake Electric members through the Operation RoundUp program. Members who sign up to participate in the Operation RoundUp program elect to have their monthly electric bill rounded up to the next whole dollar. These pennies collectively add up to major dollars for community programs.

The most recent "Give Us an A" winners include:

Alexis Ankrum, Millbrook High School in Wake County

Jai Austin,Youngsville Elementary School in Franklin County

Aubrianna Bryan, Thales Academy-Wake Forest in Wake County

Teasia Covington, Vance County Early College High School in Vance County

Anna Doria Evangelista, Franklin Academy in Wake County

Rita Furbert, Durant Road Middle School in Wake County

James Hamil, Heritage Middle School in Wake County

Julia Hamil, Jones Dairy Elementary School in Wake County

Devin Hoffman, Franklinton High School in Franklin County

Matthew Hoffman, Cedar Creek Middle School in Franklin County

Taryn Hoffman, Franklinton High School in Franklin County

Shelencia Holmes, Franklinton High School in Franklin County

Samantha Holtman, Franklin Academy in Wake County

Louis Isabella III, Franklinton High School in Franklin County

Ryan Kidd, Sanderson High School in Wake County

Margaret Lassiter, Franklinton High School in Franklin County

Benjamin Manfredi, Wakefield High School in Wake County

Christopher Mathews, Franklin Academy in Wake County

Matthew Matunis, Wakefield High School in Wake County

Joseph Maurais, Trinity Academy of Raleigh in Wake County

Jazlyn Montague, Cedar Creek Middle School in Franklin County

Alayna Moss, G C Hawley Middle School in Granville County

Vanesa Munoz Cuevas, Heritage Middle School in Wake County

Andrew Norton, Leesville Road High School in Wake County

Kaitlin Oakes, Cedar Creek Middle School in Franklin County

Emilie Phan, Heritage Middle School in Wake County

Allyson Ryan, Durant Road Middle School in Wake County

Kaetlyn Ryan, Durant Road Middle School in Wake County

Hannah Russell, Heritage Middle School in Wake County

Ashley Sajecki, Wake Forest-Rolesville High School in Wake County

Elizabeth Sample, Franklinton High School in Franklin County

Stephanie Sample, Cedar Creek Middle School in Franklin County

Allison Schulz, Franklin Academy in Wake County

Emily Schulz, Franklin Academy in Wake County

Isabella Serpe, North Forest Pines Drive Elementary School in Wake County

Julianna Serpe, Heritage Middle School in Wake County

Brandon Smith, Heritage Middle School in Wake County

Hannah Stutts, Franklinton High School in Franklin County

Claire Wilson, Cedar Creek Middle School in Franklin County

Olivia Wilson, Youngsville Elementary in Franklin County

The deadline for the next drawing is May 21, 2012 by 5:00 p.m. Because each school district may have a different time for issuing report cards, if a student's entry misses one deadline, the entry will automatically be included in the next drawing.

To enter, students should include:
- A copy of the report card with any "A"s highlighted
- Parents' or guardians' names (if applicable)
- Home address
- Email address that is checked regularly
- School attending
- Telephone Number

For more information on Wake Electric's "Give Us an A" program, go to www.wemc.com/giveusana.aspx.

Wake Electric is a non-profit electric utility serving over 35,000 members in parts of Franklin, Durham, Granville, Johnston, Vance, Nash, and Wake counties. For more information on Wake Electric, please visit www.wemc.com.

###

Switch to energy-saving halogen incandescent light bulbs to cut lighting energy use by 25 percent. These bulbs last three times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs and can easily be dimmed. Want to save more? Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and light- emitting diodes (LEDs) cut lighting energy use by at least 75 percent. Learn more at energysavers.gov.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy

Wake Forest, NC--- Wake Electric and North Carolina's Touchstone Energy cooperatives are offering all-expense paid scholarships for middle school students to attend basketball camps this summer at two of North Carolina's largest college campuses.

Young women can apply to attend the Kellie Harper Wolfpack Basketball Academy at N.C. State University in Raleigh from June 24-27, 2012, and young men can apply to attend the Roy Williams Carolina Basketball Camp at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from June 16-20. Wake Electric will award scholarships to one boy and one girl and is accepting applications now through March 30, 2012.

Applicants sponsored by Wake Electric must live in Wake, Durham, Johnston, Vance, Granville, Nash
or Franklin counties but do not have to live in households served by Wake Electric in order to win.

"Wake Electric is thrilled to continue our tradition of awarding these scholarships to outstanding students," said Fred Keller, manager of member and energy services at Wake Electric. "This program provides kids with an unforgettable opportunity to work with collegiate coaches, experience life on a college campus and develop fundamental skills that will help them excel both on and off the court."

Students entering sixth, seventh and eighth grade are eligible to apply. More information and applications, which are judged on academics, extracurricular activities and an essay, can be found at www.wemc.com/basketball.aspx or by contacting Wake Electric at communications@wemc.com or (919) 863-6312.

More than 50 students across the state will attend basketball camps this summer through the Touchstone Energy Sports Camp program, a reflection of the electric cooperatives' commitment to community.

Wake Electric is a nonprofit electric utility serving more than 35,000 members in parts of Franklin, Durham, Granville, Johnston, Vance, Nash, and Wake counties. For more information on Wake Electric, please visit www.wemc.com.

WAKE FOREST, N.C.- Wake Electric awarded more than $3,000 in grant monies during the 4th quarter of 2011 to deserving nonprofit organizations located in counties served by the co-op. These grants were made available through the Operation RoundUp program.

Nonprofit agencies located in counties that Wake Electric serves, which includes Durham, Franklin, Granville, Johnston, Nash, Wake and Vance counties, are eligible to apply. The agency does not have to be a member of Wake Electric.

Grants are open to all project and subject areas that enhance economic infrastructure and job creation, promote service or charitable organizations, and meet emergency needs of individuals within the service area of Wake Electric.

The next deadline for Operation RoundUp grant applications is Friday, March 9, 2012. A simple and convenient downloadable application can be found at www.wemc.com/oproundup.aspx.

Each quarter, the board of directors for the program's administrative body, the Wake Electric Foundation board, meets to determine who will be awarded funds.

The 4th quarter 2011 Operation RoundUp grant winners are:

Healing with CAARE, Inc. located in Durham County- $1000 grant to assist with the purchase of a walk-in deep freezer

NC Hunters for the Hungry, Inc located in Wake County- $1,000 grant for funding of food for needy families

YMCA Camp Kanata located in Wake County- $1,098 grant to sponsor three kids for summer camp

The funds for Operation RoundUp grants come from voluntary contributions from Wake Electric members.

Wake Electric is an electric utility providing reliable, safe and affordable energy and related services to 35,000 consumers in parts of Durham, Franklin, Granville, Johnston, Nash, Vance and Wake counties.

When: March 23, 2012
Time: Registration- 5:30 p.m.
Business Meeting- 7:00 p.m.
Location: Louisburg College Auditorium

Wake Electric invites all of its members to please join us on March 23 at Louisburg College Auditorium for our Annual Meeting. During this business meeting, members will have the opportunity to hear reports on the current plans of Wake Electric, as well as have the chance to ask senior management questions about your co-op.

This year, our meeting will focus on new, state-of-the-art technology that is being implemented at Wake Electric and how members can utilize it to help manage their energy usage. It is an exciting time at Wake Electric and we look forward to sharing information about the co-op's future and how it will affect you, the members.

Members in attendance will be entered into a drawing for $5,000 in cash prizes. The Grand Prize will be $1,000. There are also two second-place prizes of $500 each, four third-place prizes of $250 each and 20 fourth-place prizes of $100 each. There will also be special activities for school-aged children during the meeting.

Members in attendance will also receive a free gift bag from Wake Electric (one gift bag per household) and other freebies from our participating vendors.

For more information on Wake Electric's Annual Meeting, please visit www.wemc.com/annualmeeting.aspx or contact us at 919.863.6300 or (toll free) 1.800.474.6300. You can also e-mail us with questions at information@wemc.com. We hope to see you there!

WAKE FOREST, N.C.- Wake Electric Membership Corporation (Wake Electric) of Wake Forest, North Carolina has selected Raleigh-based utility infrastructure firm, Sensus, to replace its current drive-by meter reading system. The co-op has begun implementing a Sensus FlexNet™ advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) system for its more than 35,000 members in a seven-county area surrounding the state's capital of Raleigh.

The AMI program operates over a secure, wireless network using licensed spectrum for two-way, dedicated communication to residential electric meters as well as power distribution assets. It will replace a current single-read drive-by system that has been in service for the past decade. Sensus will administer the network's regional network interface (RNI) software as a hosted service, providing Wake Electric with added system redundancy and security.

According to Wake Electric manager of engineering, Don Bowman, the member-owned utility selected the licensed spectrum FlexNet solution in part because unsecured public networks are susceptible to radio frequency interference from power line carriers and wireless sources, particularly in densely populated areas.

"We have large population centers in Raleigh-Durham and Chapel Hill, very close to airports, the Research Triangle Park hub, universities and government facilities," Bowman said. "We felt that going the licensed route gives us the extra measure of security from interference from other systems, as well as greater reliability."

The Sensus FlexNet system is a secure and robust communications network based on open standards that facilitates interoperability with multiple applications. According to Bowman, the openness of the Sensus system gives Wake Electric the ability to incorporate other applications in its technology roadmap, such as remote monitoring and control of distribution assets, outage management and pre-paid accounts.

The electric cooperative will soon introduce an efficiency program called "Monitor and Manage," which will include an online web portal that allows members to see their monthly, daily and hourly usage from meter data that will enable Wake Electric's members to take measures to reduce electric consumption.

Wake Electric was assisted by the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (NRTC) in specifying and implementing the FlexNet solution, beginning with a pilot project of 225 meters in July 2011. Full network and meter deployment began in October 2011, and the project is expected to be completed by the end of 2012.

About Wake Electric
Wake Electric is a nonprofit electric utility serving more than 35,000 members in parts of Franklin, Durham, Granville, Johnston, Vance, Nash, and Wake counties. For more information on Wake Electric, please visit www.wemc.com.

About Sensus
Sensus is a leading utility infrastructure company offering smart meters, communication systems, software and services for the electric, gas, and water industries. Sensus technology helps utilities drive operational efficiency and customer engagement with applications that include advanced meter reading, data acquisition, demand response, distribution automation, home area networking and outdoor lighting control. Customers worldwide trust the innovation, quality and reliability of Sensus solutions for the intelligent use and conservation of energy and water. Learn more at www.sensus.com.

###

WAKE FOREST, NC--- Wake Electric will be holding a drawing on January 20 for its "Give Us an A" program. The co-op will award 40 U.S. Savings Bonds for $50 each to area students who received at least one "A" (or its equivalent) on their report cards.

Students in any grade in Durham, Franklin, Granville, Johnston, Nash, Vance and Wake counties are eligible to apply. Students do not have to live in a household served by Wake Electric in order to be eligible to apply.

To enter, students should include:
- A copy of the report card with any "A"s highlighted
- Parents' or guardians' names (if applicable)
- Home address
- Email address that is checked regularly
- School attending
- Telephone number

Entries should be mailed to Wake Electric, Post Office Box 1229, Wake Forest, NC 27588. Be sure to put the entry to the attention of "Give Us an A" Contest. Students can also fax their entries to the co-op at 919.863.6430.

Funding for the "Give Us an A" program is made possible by Wake Electric members through the Operation RoundUp program. Members who sign up to participate in the Operation RoundUp program elect to have their monthly electric bill rounded up to the next whole dollar. These pennies collectively add up to major dollars for community programs.

For information on Wake Electric's "Give Us an A" program, go to www.wemc.com/giveusana.aspx.

From eggs and milk to the electricity that powers your home, cooperatives play a big role in your everyday life. And this year, everyone in the U.S. will get to know co-ops a little better.

In July 2011, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution designating 2012 as the International Year of Cooperatives. The measure -- building off similar action by the United Nations General Assembly -- recognizes the vital role cooperatives play in the economic and social well-being of the United States.

Following are some fun facts about co-ops.

The nation's 900-plus electric co-ops:

- Serve about 42 million people in 47 states -- that's 18 million businesses, homes, schools, churches, farms, irrigation systems, and other establishments in 2,500 of 3,141 counties

- Employ 70,000

- Retire more than $500 million in capital credits annually

- Own assets worth $130 billion

- Own and maintain 2.5 million miles, or 42 percent, of the nation's electric distribution lines, covering three-quarters of the nation's land mass

Around the world, co-ops:

- Boast nearly 1 billion members in more than 90 countries.

- Account for 80 percent to 99 percent of milk production in New Zealand, Norway, and the United States

- Generate 100 million jobs

- Close to half of all residents of Finland and Singapore are co-op members; 33 percent in Canada, Honduras, New Zealand, and Norway, and 25 percent in Germany, Malaysia, and the United States

- Under the umbrella of the World Council of Credit Unions, 49,000 credit unions serve 177 million members in 96 countries

To learn more about cooperatives, visit www.go.coop.