Randy Asberry Hired

May 29, 2025 – We are excited to announce Randy Asberry has joined Blue Ridge Power Agency as our very first Utility Support Manager.

In this new role, Randy will connect linemen with job openings at the Blue Ridge members. Watch for him to visit upcoming Power Line Worker classes at Patrick & Henry, Southside Virginia, and Wytheville Community Colleges.

“I’m proud to be part of the brotherhood of linemen, and it’s awesome to help new guys learn about the Blue Ridge members,” Randy said. “I’ve worked with these teams for many years. These are great communities to build a career.”

Randy comes to Blue Ridge after 34 years of experience with the Salem Electric Department, starting as a Class A Lineman, working as the fiber system engineer for 20 years, and ultimately retiring as Assistant Director. Since 2014, Randy has also taught NCCER classes, helping Electrical students achieve their journeyman cards. Before his lineman work Randy spent 5 years working in appliance repair, and 5 years with the US Navy.  

Whether you’re an experienced journeyman wanting to learn more about the Blue Ridge member utilities, or a teenager wanting the know more about the day-to-day life of a power line worker, Randy is your guy. Please call or text him at (540) 815-0411 or email him at rasberry@brpa.org.

We are so pleased to have Randy as a resource for the Blue Ridge members.

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Blue Ridge Power Agency Members Recognized

April 24, 2025 – Three Blue Ridge Power Agency (BRPA) members have been recognized for their outstanding service, reliability, or safety. “These members absolutely deserve this recognition,” said Alice Wolfe, BRPA General Manager. “The folks at CVEC, Front Royal, and Martinsville work hard every day to keep the lights on and their staff safe. Kudos to each of them on their awards.”

Central Virginia Electric Cooperative (CVEC) earned a 2025 Customer Satisfaction Award from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI®) based on their member survey results. Members were asked to rate their overall satisfaction with CVEC, how well CVEC lived up to their expectations, and how well CVEC measured up to their ideal co-op experience. While these were not the only questions in the survey, CVEC included these specifically because they are the core components of the proprietary ACSI methodology. CVEC’s ACSI score substantially outperforms the industry average score earned by publicly measured utilities reported in the 2025 ACSI Energy Utility Study. This award is a testament to CVEC’s ongoing efforts to provide the best possible member experience.

The Town of Front Royal Electric Services and the City of Martinsville Electric Department each received national recognition for achieving exceptional electric reliability in 2024. The Certificate of Excellence in Reliability is awarded by the American Public Power Association (APPA). APPA helps public power systems to track outage and restoration data through the eReliability Tracker services and then compares that data to national statistics from the U.S. Energy Information Administration for all types of electric utilities. Utilities with reliability figures in the top quarter percentile are recognized with a certificate.

The Town of Front Royal Electric Services also received APPA’s 2025 RP3 Platinum Level designation, awarded to utilities that successfully meet 90-97 percent of the RP3 program criteria. The Reliable Public Power Provider (RP3) designation, which lasts for three years, recognizes public power utilities that demonstrate proficiency in four key disciplines: reliability, safety, workforce development and system improvement. Criteria include sound business practices and a utility-wide commitment to safe and reliable delivery of electricity.

The Town of Front Royal Electric Services also received the APPA Safety Award of Excellence for their safety practices. Entrants were placed in categories according to their number of worker-hours and ranked based on the most incident-free records and overall state of their safety programs and culture during 2024. The incidence rate, used to judge entries, is based on the number of work-related reportable injuries or illnesses and the number of worker-hours during 2024, as defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Congratulations to these Blue Ridge Power Agency members for their outstanding service and performance.