Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative (CHEC) is a

utility cooperative A utility cooperative is a type of cooperative that is tasked with the delivery of a public utility such as electricity, water or telecommunications to its members. Profit (accounting), Profits are either reinvested for infrastructure or distrib ...

that distributes

electricity Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described ...

to Hatteras and Ocracoke islands in the

Outer Banks The Outer Banks (frequently abbreviated OBX) are a string of barrier islands and spits off the coast of North Carolina and southeastern Virginia, on the east coast of the United States. They line most of the North Carolina coastline, separating ...

region of the state of

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

. The electric cooperative was founded in 1945 and is headquartered in

Buxton Buxton is a spa town in the Borough of High Peak, Derbyshire, England. It is England's highest market town, sited at some above sea level.

Electricity

Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative distributes electricity to 7,000 members on Hatteras and Ocracoke islands, both of which are barrier islands that are situated between the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

and the

Pamlico Sound Pamlico Sound ( ) is a lagoon in North Carolina which is the largest lagoon along the North American East Coast, extending long and 15 to 20 miles (24 to 32 km) wide. It is part of a large, interconnected network of lagoon estuaries that in ...

in the

region of the state of

. As an electric cooperative, Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative is owned by the members who it provides electricity to. Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative is a Touchstone Energy Cooperative and a member of the

North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''north'' is ...

(NCEMC), an electric generation and transmission cooperative that supplies electricity to most of North Carolina's electric cooperatives. Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative receives its electricity supply from underground cables attached to the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge over the

Oregon Inlet Oregon Inlet is an inlet along North Carolina's Outer Banks. It joins the Pamlico Sound with the Atlantic Ocean and separates Bodie Island from Pea Island, which are connected by the 2.8 mile Marc Basnight Bridge that spans the inlet. As one of the ...

that connect to the

Dominion North Carolina Power Dominion Energy, Inc., commonly referred to as Dominion, is a North American power and energy company headquartered in Richmond, Virginia that supplies electricity in parts of Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina and supplies natural gas t ...

electric system. A diesel generation plant operated by the NCEMC is located in

Buxton Buxton is a spa town in the Borough of High Peak, Derbyshire, England. It is England's highest market town, sited at some above sea level.

and is used during peak demand times and also to provide limited backup power to Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative during times of transmission maintenance or emergencies.

History

Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative was founded in 1945 to provide electricity to Hatteras Island, most of which lacked electricity at the time as investor-owned utilities did not find it profitable to serve the island. Prior to 1945, the only place on the island that had electricity was

Hatteras Village Hatteras is an unincorporated village and census-designated place (CDP) in Dare County, North Carolina, United States, on the Outer Banks island of Hatteras, at its extreme southwestern tip. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 504. Imme ...

. Originally, generators were the only power source on Hatteras Island, resulting in frequent power outages. In the 1960s, electric lines were constructed across the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge. A new cable across the bridge was built in 1995 at a cost of $10 million. In recent years, utility poles have been raised and new substations have been constructed. A new power line will be installed after the new Herbert C. Bonner Bridge is completed. On July 27, 2017, a crew working on constructing a new Herbert C. Bonner Bridge severed the underground cable serving Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative, causing a widespread power outage on Hatteras and Ocracoke islands. The power outage resulted in tourists being evacuated from Hatteras and Ocracoke islands during the peak of the summer vacation season. During the outage, a state of emergency was declared while residents were mandated to conserve their energy use, with emergency generators serving the islands. Power to Hatteras and Ocracoke islands was restored on August 3, with tourists allowed to return the next day. A $10.53 million settlement was reached, with PCL Civil Constructors denying guilt. The new bridge was completed and opened to traffic on February 25, 2019, although some minor work remained to be performed, and a dedication ceremony was held on April 2, 2019 with NC Governor Roy Cooper as the keynote speaker. However, it was not Herbert C. Bonner, but long-time NC state senator and leader Marc Basnight who was recognized in the naming ceremony. Despite some objection from Hatteras Island residents and officials, and a NC BOT rule requiring unanimous consent by Dare County, the NC Board of Transportation made an exception and voted to name it after Senator Basnight, thus it is now the Marc Basnight Bridge over Oregon Inlet.

References

External links

*{{Official website, www.chec.coop Companies based in North Carolina Energy companies established in 1945 Electric power companies of the United States Electric cooperatives of the United States 1945 establishments in North Carolina American companies established in 1945