Economic Development

When companies have a partner like Piedmont Electric, they also have access to a complete portfolio of business-specific services. Piedmont Electric is dedicated to meeting your needs. For existing companies who want to expand or businesses interested in relocating to our area, we offer:

• Market research
• Demographic analysis
• Inventory of business-ready sites and buildings
• Energy analysis services
• Rate flexibility
• Power quality services
• Financing assistance
• Direct access to the local cooperative CEO

Piedmont Electric has played a key role in helping create a business-friendly environment in central North Carolina. As a private, independent entity, we offer electricity at cost to more than 32,000 commercial and residential members in six counties. We have the advantage of using our combined cooperative power to keep rates affordable as well as local cooperative flexibility to serve your needs. With us, you are more than a customer. You’re a member.

For more information on our economic development policies, contact economicdevelopment@pemc.coop.

USDA Loans and Grants

Piedmont Electric, in association with the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant program (REDLG) provide loans to our rural community annually. The USDA provides zero interest loans to our cooperative, which in turn lends money to local businesses for projects that help to create jobs in rural areas.

In the past several years, Piedmont Electric has secured more than $10 million in USDA funding within Person, Alamance, Orange, Caswell and Durham counties for fire trucks, fire stations, ambulances, schools and a public library. As the funds are repaid they are re-loaned to assist with future projects in communities served by Piedmont Electric.

Click here for more information and to see a list of past projects.

Community Development

Our Helping Hand Foundation invests in our community by financially supporting a variety of programs and organizations including Bright Ideas education grants for local K-12 educators and scholarships for students at Alamance Community College, Durham Technical Community College, Piedmont Community College and graduating high school seniors.

We also offer internships for local high school students as we understand investment in education and workforce development is especially critical for rural communities.

Broadband

We are working with our peer cooperatives across the state to identify solutions to bring high speed internet to communities that currently lack adequate access. Read our news release and message from our CEO for the latest on how we are helping address this need.