georgia's energy outlook january 2010 to august 2010

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COMPILED BY VICTORIA SCHARF DECASTRO

Flint Energies was recentlynamed one of the 10 Best Places toWork in Georgia for 2009 byGeorgia Trend magazine (www.georgiatrend.com) in a November2009 article by writer Jerry Grillo.

The story focuses on employeeswho are encouraged “to bring anadded spark to the communitiesthey serve.” According to FlintEnergies CEO Bob Ray, last Aprilmore than 100 of the 234 FlintEnergies employees were involvedin volunteer community activitiesacross the co-op’s service territory,which ranges from Warner Robinsto Columbus. Some activities includ-ed working with Rebuilding To-gether in Warner Robins, the Runfor Literacy and the Taylor CountyStrawberry Festival.

In 2009, Flint Energies’ Linemenfor Little Ones held an online cakeauction, raising, more than $3,000

through two online auc-tions to provide foodand toys for needy chil-dren at Christmas.

Each year, GeorgiaTrend publishes an invi-tation online and in itsmonthly magazine togive all Georgia employ-ees an opportunity tonominate their compa-nies. In its online ar-chives, Georgia Trendsays, “Sometimes it’s thebenefits, sometimes it’sthe educational opportu-nities. But sometimesit’s the atmosphere, thecommunity involvementor the sense that whatyou’re doing is important that make acompany a good place to work.”

Georgia Trend has been naming“Best Places to Work in Georgia”

www.georgiamagazine.org GEORGIA MAGAZINE

since 2006. Carroll Electric Member-ship Corp. (EMC) in Carrollton,another electric co-op, made the listin 2008.

Flint Energies employees, from left,Terrance Searcy, DannyBell and Adam Gossett deliver Christmas cheer, gifts andfood to a needy family during the holidays.

On May 11, Georgia’s electricmembership corporations will join

electric cooperatives throughout the nation to celebratethe 75th anniversary of the Rural ElectrificationAdministration (REA, now known as the Rural utilitiesService or RUS), the grassroots effort that gained gov-ernment support and ultimately brought electric powerto America’s rural homes and farms.

At the time President Franklin D. Roosevelt estab-lished the agency in 1935, millions ofhomes across the country’s rural land-scape lacked electric power. Whilecity residents enjoyed electric appli-ances and indoor running water, theircountry counterparts continued to toilon washday, hauling water from thecreek or well to wash and rinse thefamily’s clothes. Other habits com-mon to rural America but deemedarchaic by city residents includedreading by lamplight or candle flameon nights warmed by burning embersin the fireplace.

“We split logs for the stove wood and cut firewoodto heat with,” says Dan Murphy, a Diverse Power con-sumer in Troup County. “We had Aladdin kerosenelamps for light and used the fireplace for heat. You’dstand in front of the fireplace and freeze on one sidewhile you burned on the other. You’d keep turningaround and around to try and keep warm.”

When private companies failed to bring electricityto rural homes and farms, the U.S. government was

enlisted, and neighbors throughout theAmerican heartland worked togetherto set up electric cooperatives topower the countryside. Three-quartersof a century later, the REA is hailed asone of America’s most successful gov-ernment endeavors.

Throughout 2010, GEORGIA Mag-azine will revisit events and emotionsleading to the establishment of the REAand its impact on rural America in the75 years since.

—Jackie Kennedy

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A great place to work

Before REABefore REA

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Georgia’s electric co-ops gear up for 75th anniversary of REA

January 2010 15www.georgiamagazine.org

Georgia’s energy outlook

Three Georgia electric member-ship corporations (EMCs) have beenchosen to receive grants from thefederal government to install smartgrid technology in their service areas.Cobb EMC in Marietta will receive$16.5 million from the Department ofEnergy; Flint Energies in Reynoldsand Snapping Shoals EMC inCovington will receive grants of $5 million and $2.4 million, respec-tively, for smart grid demonstrationprojects through the CooperativeResearch Network (CRN).

Snapping Shoals EMC will usethe grant for a self-healing distribu-tion system to help reduce outageareas and for exploring demand-sidemanagement in several subsets, suchas utilizing load control switches andin-home notification systems. FlintEnergies will use its $5 million grantto replace the remaining 54,000meters in its service area; 28,000 arealready in place. Cobb Energy hasannounced it will install a combina-tion of smart meters and load controldevices.

The grants represent about halfof the total dollars EMCs will investin smart meter programs; the rest willcome from each participating EMC.

“What we’re most excited aboutin the state is EMCs showing continued leadership in deploying

EMCs boost smart gridenergy-efficient technologies and in-novations, allowing consumers theability to see and compare their usageof energy in real time,” says BenTaube, executive director of theSoutheastern Energy EfficiencyAlliance.

Earlier this year, $3.4 billion ingrants was allocated for more than100 energy-saving projects fundedunder the American Recovery andReinvestment Act. CRN received$33.9 million for nationwide projectsinvolving 27 EMCs in 10 states.

Installation of smart grid compo-nents is part of a national initiative totest and develop technologies to makethe grid more efficient and reliable.

Smart meters allow customers toaccess real-time information abouttheir electricity use and costs and,armed with that information, takeaction to allow the co-op to raise orlower rates depending on demand. A consumer might also use the infor-mation to make his own energy-sav-ing decisions, such as cutting off awater heater during a hot summer daywhen energy use is at its peak, orpostponing a shower.

Approximately half of America’selectric cooperatives have installed atleast some advanced metering infra-structure (AMI) on their systems, andsome 30 percent of cooperatives have

begun to integrate their AMIwith other systems on their grid.

Nationwide, the demon-strated technologies for all 27 participating cooperativeswill impact more than 130,000meters, including more than18,000 demand-response swit-ches, and nearly 4,000 in-homedisplays or smart thermostats.

Smart meters enable consumers toparticipate in cost-cutting programsby shifting some energy use to off-peak periods.T

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Touch a Truck DayTouch a Truck Day was the main

attraction during a recent careerweek at Sweetwater ElementarySchool in Lithia Springs.

Line workers from GreyStonePower Corp. in Douglasville let stu-dents hop in the cab and try ongloves. “They love the air horn,” sayslead lineman Keith Bailey.

With older students, the lineworkers discussed electrical safetyissues.

Appearances at schools andshopping centers are popular out-reach tools for many electric co-ops.Plus, GreyStone Power has receivedmore calls from homeowner associa-tions wanting to spice up block par-ties with safety demonstrations.

“They’re looking for fun andeducational things to do that areinexpensive and close to home,” saysVicki Harshbarger, manager, publicrelations and communications atGreyStone Power.

—Victoria A Rocha,Electric Co-op Today

Lead lineman Keith Bailey, right, andapprentice lineman Cameron Kearns helpstudents climb into a bucket truck.

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Georgia’s electric membershipcorporations (EMCs) and TouchstoneEnergy welcomed thousands of visi-tors to their exhibit during the 32ndAnnual Sunbelt Agricultural Expo,held Oct. 20-22 in Moultrie.

While always focused on gettingout the message of electric safety,this year the exhibit also promotedawareness of the metals theft issue(and reward). Georgia EMC alsopartnered with the Georgia ForestryCommission to remind visitors tokeep utility poles out of harm’s waywhen burning their fields.

The exhibit offered visitors aplace to sit down, relax and enjoy acold bottle of water and a free bag ofpopcorn, a bounce house for thekids, a “climbing pole” photo oppor-tunity for kids of all ages, a solarpanel, high-voltage demonstrationsand the ever-popular Oscar theRobot. The Touchstone Energy hot-air balloon carried the U.S. flagabove the expo each morning duringthe national anthem.

For the second year, Marathon


Oscar the Robot entertains the crowd.

Georgia’s electric cooperativesthis year celebrate the 75th anniver-

sary of the Rural Electrification Administration (REA,now Rural Utilities Service, or RUS), established May 11,1935, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to bring elec-tricity to rural farms and homes.

While those in America’s cities had experienced thebenefits of electricity since the late 1800s, their countrycousins remained in the dark threedecades into the 20th century.

Prior to the REA, rural folkrelied on candles or the glow of a kerosene lamp for light. Street-lamps sparkled along city side-walks, but farms remained isolatedand dark according to the sun’sschedule, and hot or cold, de-pending on the season.

As city residents enjoyed

water from an indoor faucet and washed clothes in arotating machine, their rural neighbors hauled bucketsfilled with water from a stream or backyard well.Cleaning clothes was relegated to one day a week dueto the extraordinary effort that went into the back-breaking chore, which called for beating clothes on treetrunks to loosen grime before boiling them in iron pots.

Ironing clothes consumed the bulk of another day,according to Lillian Champion ofPine Mountain. “We’d wash andiron on Friday and Saturday to besure to have a clean shirt forchurch on Sunday,” she recalls.

Rural residents hoped for elec-tricity to ease the burden of theirdaily chores.

—Jackie Kennedy

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Living without electricity

EMCs promote safety at Sunbelt

Water Heaters donated an $800water heater as a door prize, andGresco Utility Supply Inc. coordinat-ed shipping to the winner’s EMC.This year’s winner was a member ofOkefenoke REMC. Co-ops involvedin the event included Canoochee,Coastal, Colquitt, Coweta-Fayette,Diverse Power, Flint, Grady, Hab-ersham, Hart, Irwin, Jefferson En-ergy, Little Ocmulgee, Mitchell,Okefenoke, Planters, Satilla andSouthern Rivers Energy.

Scouting for repairs

Washington Electric Foundation atWashington Electric Membership Corp.(EMC) in Sandersville recently presentedBoy Scout Troop 74 of Sandersville with acheck in the amount of $2,400 to assistthem in making needed repairs to thetroop’s Scout hut. Funding was providedthrough voluntary donations fromWashington EMC member-consumersthrough the cooperative’s OperationRound Up program. Back row from left, Nathan van Loenen, AssistantScoutmaster Mark Riner, ScoutmasterPaul van Loenen, Bill Banthrip and TaylorVeal. Front row,Sean Taylor, Joshua Lemonand D’Andre Storey.

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February 2010 11www.georgiamagazine.org


America’s electric membershipcorporations (EMCs) are rapidly ap-proaching the 75th anniversary of thesigning of the Rural Electrification Actby President Franklin D. Roosevelt.The National Rural Electric Coopera-tive Association (NRECA) and Geor-gia EMC will join their members incelebrating the remarkable contribu-tion EMCs have made to their statesand communities.

Nowhere has the growth ofEMCs been greater than in Georgia,birthplace of the rural electric move-ment. Here, member-owned utilitiesserve approximately 4.48 million ofthe state’s 9.5 million residents.

The system covers 73 percent ofGeorgia’s land area in 157 of 159counties.

With 182,184 miles of electricpower lines, EMCs operate by far the largest distribution network inthe state.

From the beginning, EMCs haveserved customers in areas investor-owned utilities refused to serve be-cause it was not profitable to do so.EMCs today average 8.9consumers per mile of dis-tribution line, as comparedto 35 customers per milefor investor-owned electricutilities and 46.6 customersper mile for municipalelectric utilities.

The cooperative busi-ness model’s true strengthis found in its not-for-profitstatus. There is a two-foldpurpose for this businessmodel. Operating as a not-for-profit cooperative helps

Electric membership corporations:

Just the factsoffset the cost of serving large landareas. Additionally, it reinforces thecommitment to remain as close aspossible to the members who ownthe cooperative and elect its leaders.

Evidence of the success of thenot-for-profit cooperative is found inthe records of EMCs that return mil-lions of dollars in capital credits(margins earned above actual cost ofproviding service) to consumer-members each year.

More than $35.3 million in cap-ital credits was returned to con-sumer-members in 2008. Georgia’s42 EMCs pay millions of dollars in local state and federal taxes each year.

The 42 electric membership cor-porations in Georgia employ alto-gether more than 4,763 workers, andall of those workers pay incometaxes. More importantly, thoseemployees can be found in volun-teer work that strengthens everyaspect of community life in theirEMC’s service area.

Multiply the economic impact ofEMCs by all the states where theyare found and you will discover anextraordinary return on investmentin one of the nation’s most success-ful federal programs.

Georgia’s EMCs operate182,184 miles

of electric power lines.

Bridging the gap for medicallyfragile kids

Bridging the gap for medicallyfragile kids

The Fragile Kids Foundation inAtlanta was able to expand its servic-es to Georgia’s medically fragile chil-dren in 2009 due in great part to thegenerous support of several electricmembership corporations (EMCs)around the state.

For nearly 20 years, Fragile Kidshas assisted more than 400 childreneach year with medical equipmentthey cannot afford and that Medicaidand private insurance companies donot cover. Many of the children arecared for by single mothers, grand-mothers and foster mothers.

Much of the funding that hashelped specific children in eachEMC’s service area has come fromOperation Round Up programs,which allow EMC members to roundup their electric bills to the next high-est dollar for charitable purposes.

Fragile Kids received approxi-mately $30,000 in contributions,which helped reduce its waiting listfor items such as wheelchair van lifts,specialized bath seats, strollers, ceil-ing and stair lifts, as well as gait train-ers, seating and standers for children.

The following EMCs have spon-sored children on waiting lists intheir service areas: Coastal ElectricCooperative in Midway, Coweta-Fayette EMC in Palmetto, Flint En-ergies in Reynolds, GreyStone Powerin Douglasville, Jackson EMC inJefferson, Oconee EMC in Dudley,Sawnee EMC in Cumming, SouthernRivers Energy in Barnesville andSumter EMC in Americus.

Kelli received a van lift for her family’s van.

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For all the dancing cats and cutebabies on YouTube, there’s also awealth of useful information. WaltonEMC in Monroe is doing its part andgetting an enthusiastic response,though it might not be from thedemographic one might expect.

“With social media, the firstthought that comes to mind is thatyou’re going to reach young peo-ple,” says Greg Brooks, communica-tions coordinator at Walton EMC.“But YouTube has something calledInsight, which allows you to seesome demographics of your viewer.I think, right now, ours is running 80percent male, and 44- to 55-year-oldsare the biggest audience.”

The electric co-op createdEMCtv, a section on YouTube featur-ing more than 20 videos for consumer-members. Baby boomersmight not be the audience that most


Although Thomas Alva Edison isoften credited with the feat, it was

actually German watchmaker Henricg Globel whoinvented the first lightbulb in 1854.

Edison, however, perfected it.In 1879, he crafted a carbon filament that, placed in

a bulb without oxygen, burned for 40 hours; the fol-lowing year, an improved lightbulb burned 1,200 hourswith a filament he formed from bamboo. This achieve-ment offered the world’s first practical, safe and afford-able incandescent electric light.

Edison’s next mission was to spread the light, agoal that led him to develop theworld’s first central electric gener-ating system, opened in New YorkCity in 1882, which distributedelectricity to 85 customers within aone-square-mile area. With reli-able central generation, efficientdistribution, a successful end usein the lightbulb and affordablerates, the modern electric utilityindustry was born.

By 1890, cities across the

nation were lighted, at least to some degree, includingAtlanta where residents joined in 1883 to form GeorgiaElectric Light Co., which eventually became GeorgiaPower Co. In 1884, the company built a 940-kilowattgeneration plant that, by 1889, powered 800 streetlights.

In Atlanta, lights were beginning to dot the land-scape, bright as beacons to residents there, yet twin-kling like faraway fireflies to rural folks living beyondthe city limits. While Edison’s work brought citydwellers out of the dark ages and into the brightness ofa new world, it would be almost a half-century morebefore their country counterparts enjoyed the luxury of

artificial light.Georgia’s electric cooperatives

this year celebrate the 75th anniver-sary of the Rural ElectrificationAdministration (REA, now RuralUtilities Service, or RUS) establishedMay 11, 1935, to bring electricity torural farms and homes.

— Jackie Kennedy


Electric lights illuminate city streets in thelate 19th century.Top left image reprinted with permission © copyright NRECA

Lighting the cities

Lights, camera, YouTubepeople would associatewith YouTube. Indeed,Brooks calls it “a differ-ent demographic than Ifirst envisioned.” But themore he thought about it,he realized that it madesense.

“Young people arenot paying electric billsyet,” he says. “They’restill in college. They’renot established home-owners who maybe are more con-cerned with cutting their power bill.”

Headquartered 45 miles east ofAtlanta, Walton’s service area is moresuburban than rural. With high-speedInternet access widely availablethere, Brooks says many older con-sumer-members are computer-savvy,including his 71-year-old mother,who trades videos with her friends.

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While EMCtv features a range oftopics, Brooks has started focusingon how-to videos, which are amongthe most popular. To promoteEMCtv, the co-op put the linkwww.youtube.com/user/emctv in itsnewsletter and on its home page,www.waltonemc.com.

—Michael W. Kahn, Electric Co-op Today

Walton EMC Communications Coordinator GregBrooks works with intern Savannah Chandler to producea short video detailing how to make sure a refrigeratoris energy-efficient.The video is shown on the coopera-tive’s YouTube channel, EMCtv.

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Georgia Transmission Corp.(GTC) in Tucker recently completeda 39-mile, 500-kilovolt (kV) transmis-sion power line connecting substa-tions in Thomson and Warthen. Theline marks the company’s first projectof this size in two decades, its first ofmany new lines in a major upgradeof the state’s power grid and a newdesign for 500-kV power lines.

GTC, a not-for-profit cooperativethat builds and maintains high-volt-age infrastructure on behalf of 39 ofthe state’s 42 electric membershipcorporations, began planning for the$48 million project in late 2004. The500-kV line, to be energized in thesummer of 2010, is the largest type ofpower line built in Georgia. Thestate’s electric co-ops are not-for-profit utilities that provide power tomore than 4.5 million Georgians.

“Georgia’s energy demand hasnearly doubled since 1990 due togrowth in population and per-capitaenergy use,” says John Raese, GTCvice president of project services.“By fortifying the power grid,Georgia’s utilities are reducing therisk of power outages and blackouts

Upgrade to state’s power grid introducesnew design

for all Georgians.”The transmission line runs 38.7

miles, stretching through portions ofGlascock, McDuffie, Warren andWashington counties. More than 366miles of wires span across 158 lat-ticed steel structures that average 140feet in height. The transmission lineright of way is 150 feet wide, encom-passing 704 acres of land at a cost ofmore than $4 million.

Georgia Transmission’s first 500-kilovolt linein more than 20 years introduces to theelectric industry a Delta Cat design with anarrower footprint and improved access formaintenance.

Gale Cutler, public relationscoordinator with Georgia ElectricMembership Corp. (EMC) in Tucker,was presented with an HonoraryAmerican FFA degree, the highesthonorary degree bestowed by theNational FFA organization. The pres-entation took place in October at the82nd National FFA Convention inIndianapolis, Ind.

The degree recognizes individu-als who have rendered outstandingservice and made a tremendousimpact on agricultural education andthe FFA, according to Ben Lastly withthe Georgia FFA Association.

“With the resources that Galehelps to secure through local EMCsand Georgia EMC, more FFA mem-bers and chapters not only have theability to participate in the wiringevent, they are learning the value ofelectrical wiring and safety,” he says.

Cutler serves as Georgia EMC’srepresentative to the agriculture com-munity at events like the GeorgiaFarm Bureau convention and theSunbelt Agricultural Expo. She alsomanages the company’s statewideyouth programs, including the state’soldest youth leadership program—the Washington Youth Tour.

Gale Cutler receives the HonoraryAmerican FFA degree from Riley Branch,2008-2009 National FFA Western Regionvice president.

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Honoring veteransCobb Electric Membership

Corp. (EMC) in Marietta recent-ly held its annual Veteran’s DayBreakfast honoring employeesand retirees who served in thearmed forces. Military branchesincluded the Army, Navy,Marines and Air Force. Boardmembers Al Fortney and DonBarnett, who served in the Army, also attended. Each veteran was given a tumbler with theseal of the military branch in which he or she served.

Approximately 70 current Cobb EMC employees, 20 retirees and two board membershave served in the military,many during wartime. Some of the veterans who attended include,front row, from left, Cobb County residents Frank Myers, Rick Prichard, Bob Elsberry andLamar Horton. Middle row, Harold Richardson, Mark Justice, Elaine Haynes, Bill Ellis, DavidGravett, Don Poole, Chip Miller and Anthony Tatum. Back row, Aaron Newman, BernardMathis, Don Barnett, John Mobley, Mark Moon, Greg Rooks, Gary Bates and Roger Brubaker.

—Source: Marietta Daily Journal

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Cutler receivesFFA degree

April 2010 15www.georgiamagazine.org


The state of Georgia has laun-ched a new Web site that every con-sumer of electricity will want tobookmark right away: www.governorsenergychallenge.org.

The fully interactive site encour-ages visitors to explore ways toimprove energy conservation andefficiency. Consider these highlights:If you bought an Energy Star appli-ance after Feb. 12, 2010, you are eli-gible to apply for a rebate, but youwill have to hurry. The federal gov-ernment has allocated each state afixed dollar amount. Apply directlyfor your rebate from the Web site.

Learn how to save money onyour monthly gas and electric bill.Use the calculators on the Web siteto determine how much you couldsave, and receive a list of recom-mendations for reducing yourmonthly bill, as well as estimates ofthe dollars that could be saved.

Learn how to purchase renew-able energy for your home or busi-ness. You may even sign up forrenewable energy through links provided on the site.

Take a virtual tour of a typicalhome and learn specific steps toreduce energy consumption and in-crease efficient use of electricity. Youcan also determine eligibility for low-

Take the Governor’s Energy Challengeincome, weatherization assistance.

Sign up your business for on-siteassistance to determine how toimprove energy use and efficiency.Check out the Department of En-ergy’s “Zero Energy Homes” initia-tive to learn how new homes arebeing designed and constructed toproduce as much energy as theyconsume.

The Web site was created by theGeorgia Environmental FacilitiesAuthority and launched under a partnership with the Georgia Depart-ment of Natural Resources Sustain-ability Division, Southface EnergyInstitute, Conserve Georgia, UGAEngineering Outreach Services, As-sociation of Energy Engineers, U.S.Department of Energy and theEnvironmental Protection Agency.

Months of preparation by thepartners have produced a site thatoffers maximum ease of navigationto its many features. At the very least,visitors to the site will learn how toincrease the value of their propertyand improve resale potential.

“Visit this new Web site and takethe Governor’s Energy Challenge,”says Phil Foil, executive director ofGeorgia Environmental FacilitiesAuthority, “your monthly energy billmay never be the same.”

More than two years of workcame to fruition recently whenJefferson Energy Cooperative openedits new Rural Electrification Admin-istration (REA) exhibit in the lobby ofits headquarters in Wrens.

Built from an idea that JeffersonEnergy President and CEO KennethCook had several years ago whilevisiting another electric cooperative,Jefferson Energy employees, alongwith the help of local Augusta artistDonna Whaley and the AugustaMuseum of History, began workingon the project.

The exhibit contains several arti-facts from the days of early rural elec-trification, such as a 1927 GeneralElectric Monitor Top refrigerator anda 1933 Maytag Model 10 electricwringer washing machine. Manyitems were donated by employeesand members, while others are onloan or were purchased at variousantiques stores around the state.

“We just wanted to create what atypical day would have been likeback in those early years when therural areas first got electricity,” saysSteve Chalker, director of public rela-tions. “It also serves as a reminder ofwhat a great service the REA program[which celebrates its 75th anniversaryin 2010] provided for rural areas likeours all over the country.”

Jefferson Energy’s historical exhibit show-cases vintage appliances and otherantiques used during the early days ofrural electrification.

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Carroll EMC employees woreblue or green shirts to commemorateEarth Day, April 22, as they planted ariver birch tree near their headquar-ters in Carrollton. The electric coop-erative also donated items to a localelectronics recycling event recently.The co-op has participated in theevent for several years, donatingitems each time the recycling drivesare held, usually twice a year.

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Carroll EMC employee Joe Brown loads aprinter onto a truck full of electronics todonate to a local electronics recycling event.

Carroll EMC celebratesEarth Day


Clayton native Bill Gravley’s rela-tionship with the Rabun Gap Plant, anew biomass energy facility in NorthGeorgia, dates to the mid-1970s, whenit was the boiler room for a BurlingtonIndustries manufacturing plant. Grav-ley started in the maintenance depart-ment in 1974 and had worked his wayup to maintenance manager whenthen-owner Fruit of the Loom closedthe cotton facility in 2006.

“I was the only person here forseveral months,” says Gravley, who’snow plant manager of MultitradeRabun Gap LLC, which bought theboiler house, wood yard and shopfacility at the sprawling 1 million-square-foot plant to produce electrici-ty from biomass.

Green Power EMC has contractedwith Multitrade for 17 megawatts ofgreen power. Power productionbegan in January, followed by a dedi-cation at the plant on Earth Day, April22. Green Power EMC is Georgia’s firstand largest green power program.Participating EMCs across the state—Carroll, Cobb, Coweta-Fayette, Irwin,Jackson, Middle Georgia, Oconee,Okefenoke, Sawnee, Tri-County andWalton; as well as Diverse Power, FlintEnergies, GreyStone Power and South-ern Rivers Energy—will purchase thepower generated at Rabun Gap.

Gravley now has a staff of nearlytwo dozen, with an additional 75 jobs

From mill to biomass, everybody winsfor those who gather and transportbiomass to the facility.

The Multitrade facility representsa $21.5 million investment in RabunGap. Power is produced by burningbiomass to turn a steam turbine. Anelectrostatic precipitator removesparticulates from the boiler exhaust,so minimal pollutants leave the facil-ity. Forestry byproducts, which in-clude limbs, tops, bark and otherunmarketable portions of trees, arebought by the ton and taken to thefacility.

Gravley says that biomass issourced as close as possible to theplant, but can come from as far as 120miles away. The plant keeps a 30-daysupply of wood on hand to deal withinclement weather or times whenforestry byproducts are not for sale.

According to Michael Whiteside,president/CEO of Green Power EMC,Rabun Gap is part of Green PowerEMC’s mission to research and deliv-er renewable energy options fromGeorgia resources such as biomass,solar, wind and low-impact hydro.

Green Power EMC, founded in2001, has an extensive renewableenergy education effort through itsSun Power for Schools program athigh schools statewide and its GoGreen presentations for elementaryschools. Find out more at www.greenpoweremc.com.

Rep. Don Parsons, chairman of the Georgia House Energy, Utilities and Telecommunica-tions Committee, center, is joined by officials from Multitrade/Rabun Gap and GreenPower EMC for the facility’s April 22, 2010, ribbon-cutting.

More than 70 FFA and 4-H clubmembers from six counties con-verged in Jefferson late last year tocompete for awards, ribbons andcash prizes at Jackson ElectricMembership Corp.’s 41st AnnualQuality Beef Show.

The experience of competinghelps the young contestants preparefor the statewide competition inPerry, which takes place in February.

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Steven Cooper, right, pictured with JudgeMick McGuire, won the grand prize forGrand Champion Steer.

Beefing up the competition

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Georgia’s EMCs offer a variety ofefficiency and conservation serv-ices and programs to residential,commercial and industrial cus-tomers. Approximately 89.9 percentof Georgia EMCs’ consumers are res-idential. Residential programs offer-ed include home energy audits,compact fluorescent lightbulbs, elec-tric water heater incentives, heatpump incentives, energy-efficientnew home programs, Energy Starappliance promotions, loans or fi-nancing options, air-conditioningdirect load control, water heaterdirect load control, ceiling insula-tion, weatherization, programmablethermostats and green power.

Georgia EMCs also offer DSM,energy efficiency and conservationservices to commercial and industri-al customers, including energyaudits, lighting programs and planreview services.

Active load-management pro-grams avoid the need for a medi-um-size, peaking power plant.More than 160,000 load-manage-ment switches have been installedon customer air conditioners, waterheaters and irrigation systems, anincrease of 10 percent over the pre-vious year; 8.4 percent of Georgia’sEMC customers have a load controlswitch. Georgia EMCs have invested

more than $16 million intheir load-management sys-tems, which can reduce summerpeak load by approximately 162megawatts (MW).

Automatic meter reading (AMR)and advanced metering infra-structure (AMI) benefit nearly 1 million EMC consumers. Thirty-two EMCs have AMR/AMI installed,and the remaining EMCs are investi-gating AMR/AMI systems. This tech-nology provides co-op members withmore detailed billing information andallows EMCs to offer more rate-basedoptions such as time-of-use, curtail-able, interruptible and real-time pricing. Large commercial/industrialcustomers currently have the mostrate options available, including cur-tailable and interruptible rates, whichare both designed to reduce demandduring peak times.

Georgia’s EMCs actively promoteDSM, energy conservation andefficiency programs. EMCs spentapproximately $18.6 million in 2009on these initiatives. DSM, energyefficiency and conservation are pro-moted through EMC websites, news-letters and GEORGIA Magazine.

Georgia’s EMCs represent the firstand largest voluntary green

power program in Georgia, witha total output of 24.3 MW.Statewide 39 of 42 EMCs participatein Green Power EMC, a nonprofitcooperative formed in 2001 to pro-mote green power from Georgia-based renewable resources. Theother three EMCs participate in asimilar program through TennesseeValley Authority. Green generationresources include landfill gas-to-energy projects, a low-impacthydro facility, a wood waste plant,a biomass generation plant andseveral solar demonstration proj-ects. Many of the Georgia EMCsoffer a green power rate option to their members, while othersinclude their green power re-sources in their overall generationmix. Education plays a vital role inGreen Power EMC.

The Sun Power for SchoolsProgram has facilitated the installa-tion of solar photovoltaic educa-tional demonstration projects atlocal middle and high schoolsacross the state, and a Go GreenPower curriculum is available toelementary and middle schools.

For more information or to seea copy of the full report, pleaseclick on www.georgiaemc.com.

Efficiency, conservation and demand side managementefforts continue to grow

Georgia’s electric membership corporations (EMCs) remain onthe leading edge of energy conservation, energy efficiency anddemand side management (DSM) programs, increasing energy sav-ings over 2008 figures. The recently released “EMC Demand SideManagement, Energy Conservation & Energy Efficiency Report,”the fourth annual statewide report of EMC efforts, records how theelectric co-ops and their members strive to save electricity and useit wisely.

Georgia’s EMCs focus onsaving energy

August 2010 15More online at www.georgiamagazine.org

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georgia's energy outlook january 2010 to august 2010

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