Dobson, NC – February 5, 2021. Surry Community College and Surry Communications, in partnership with Surry-Yadkin Electric Membership Corporation, have recently installed a Level II ChargePoint electric vehicle dual charging station at each of their locations in Dobson.
The charging station at Surry Community College is located in the J Building parking lot on the college’s Dobson campus, 630 S. Main St., where it can be accessed by students, faculty and staff and community members. Its installation in January was used as a teaching tool for the electrical and automotive classes.
“Surry Community College is thankful for Surry-Yadkin EMC’s assistance in securing funding for the electric vehicle charging station,” said Dr. David Shockley, SCC president. “This EV station will allow the community the ability to recharge their electric vehicles right on our Dobson campus. Our Electrical Systems students assembled, installed and connected the station with the Automotive students observing the installation process. We appreciate Surry-Yadkin EMC being a long-time supporter and friend to the college.”
The charging station at Surry Communications is located in the parking lot of its office at 819 E. Atkins St., Dobson, and will be available to the community and Surry Communications’ customers and employees.
“Surry Communications is excited to install an EV charging station at our corporate headquarters in Dobson. This charging station will increase the accessibility and viability of electric vehicle ownership for our members and customers,” said Richie Parker, CEO of Surry Communications.
“This is a great partnership with our neighboring electric co-op, Surry-Yadkin EMC. The strengths, and future endeavors, of both cooperatives is highlighted with this offering,” Parker said. “Surry-Yadkin EMC helps provide alternate fuel options to ever-increase ‘smart’ vehicles and Surry Communications helps pave the way with broadband connections needed for future ‘smart’ vehicles and highways. The addition of this charging station broadens the footprint and driving range for users of the ChargePoint network.”
The addition of the EV chargers to the regional network available for electric vehicle drivers is part of Surry-Yadkin EMC’s Brighter Future campaign, an initiative launched by North Carolina’s 26 electric cooperatives in 2020.
SYEMC is focused on supporting and benefitting the communities it serves, while striving to meet sustainability goals of reducing carbon emissions by 50 percent from 2005 levels by 2030 and having net-zero emissions by 2050.
The cooperative’s EV charging network is one of the ways SYEMC is helping attain that goal. The charging network includes a DC fast charger at the Circle K on Zephyr Road at the I-77 interchange which was installed in 2020, as well as Level II chargers at Fairfield Inn on CC Camp Road in Elkin; Hampton Inn at the Dobson I-77 interchange; the SYEMC headquarters at 510 S. Main St., Dobson; the new Surry Communications and Surry Community College locations; and one which will be installed in coming months at the Hanging Rock State Park visitors center.
“From the time we were formed by local community members in 1940, Surry-Yadkin EMC has been committed to building a brighter future for the people, businesses and communities we serve,” said Greg Puckett, executive vice president and general manager of SYEMC. “Our original goal was to bring electricity and opportunity to our region, and it has since expanded to include the pursuit of new energy solutions, community support and outreach and economic development initiatives that provide us with new ways to deliver value to our members.
“This includes providing electricity that is reliable and environmentally responsible, and providing places to charge vehicles with zero carbon emissions is a way we can help reach the goal of reducing a carbon footprint,” Puckett said.
Surry-Yadkin EMC is interested in partnering with other businesses in the service area of Surry, Yadkin, Stokes, Wilkes and Forsyth counties to bring more economic development and EV charging opportunities to the region. For more information, please reach out to Wendy Wood at 336-356-5259 or wendywood@syemc.com.
About SYEMC
Surry-Yadkin Electric Membership Corporation, founded in 1940, is a not-for-profit, member-owned Touchstone Energy cooperative serving about 27,000 member-accounts in five counties — Surry, Yadkin, Stokes, Wilkes and Forsyth counties. SYEMC’s mission is to provide outstanding service that powers our rural communities. For more information about SYEMC, visit www.syemc.com.
About Surry Communications
Surry Communications, based in Dobson, North Carolina, continues to raise the bar when measuring success. Not satisfied to maintain the status quo, the company continually seeks new opportunities to provide their customers and the residents of Surry, Stokes and David counties with leading technology while providing knowledgeable, professional service. From its early beginnings, Surry Telephone Membership Corporation has had progressive thinking leaders that created a strong foundation that they continue to build upon. In 1954, STMC began offering service to 192 co-op members over an 8-party line telephone system. Over 50 years later, Surry continues to provide innovative services such as Fiber to the Premise (FTTP), Home Networking, Home Security, IPTV, Mobile Wireless Phones, High Speed Internet, Business Systems, Medical Alert Monitoring and traditional Landline service. FTTP, which provides faster speeds, robust technology with multimedia applications and a reliable network, creates the opportunity for new services. As Surry Communications looks to future opportunities, it continues to offer cutting edge telecommunication services while maintaining the highest level of service to its customers. As the pace of technological advancements continue to hasten, the management team and staff at Surry Communications are committed to remaining at the forefront of the marketplace. For more information on Surry Communications, please visit online at www.surry.net.
About Surry Community College
Surry Community College was founded in 1964 and the campus is located in Dobson, North Carolina. As one of the state’s 58 community colleges, it serves Surry and Yadkin counties. The college also operates four off-campus learning centers: The Yadkin Center, Yadkinville; the Center for Public Safety, Mount Airy; The Pilot Center, Pilot Mountain; and The Elkin Center in Elkin. Surry offers degrees, diplomas or certificate programs in Advanced Manufacturing; Agricultural Science; Arts and Design; Business and Computer Technologies; College Transfer; Construction Technologies; Emergency Medical; Fire and Rescue; Health Sciences; Law Enforcement; Public Service; and Transportation System Technologies areas along with hundreds of continuing education courses and seminars in a variety of fields. The college, under the direction of President Dr. David R. Shockley, has a mission to promote personal growth and community development to a diverse population through excellence in teaching, learning, and service. For more information, go to www.surry.edu. The college also has a strong social media presence. To visit these sites, go to www.surry.edu/follow-us.
