EMCs Continue Challenging Work to Restore Power

TUCKER, Ga.  – Approximately 110,000 customers of Georgia’s electric membership cooperatives (EMCs) remain without power as of 4:45 a.m. today, down from 210,000 in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Michael, which swept through Georgia on Wednesday.

While the restoration of power to 100,000 customers represents significant progress, the state’s EMCs emphasize that the process could take several more days, particularly in the hardest-hit areas of Middle Georgia and Southwest Georgia. 

Unlike previous storms, Hurricane Michael caused serious damage to the high-voltage transmission lines and substations that supply power to the EMCs, which distribute the electricity to customers. The damage to the supply side of the electrical grid from Michael is more extensive than with any other storm in decades and will take longer to assess and repair. These transmission lines and the substations that are out of service must be repaired before electricity will be available to run through residential distribution lines. Georgia Transmission Corp. is working with local EMCs to get the power grid back to full function.

EMCs in Georgia are receiving assistance from crews that came from other parts of Georgia and from Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and Arkansas. Hundreds of line workers are working around the clock to repair lines and poles. Every effort is being made to restore power as quickly, effectively and safely as possible.

Because of the extended time it will take to restore power in this complex situation created by Hurricane Michael, EMCs are advising those who are medically fragile or have other critical electricity-dependent needs to consider temporarily seeking shelter in other parts of the state that were less affected by this storm.

As always, the public is reminded to avoid downed power lines, which still may be energized and extremely dangerous, even deadly. They are especially hazardous when in or near standing water.

Note to media: Updated outage information can be found throughout the day on Georgia EMC’s web site at https://georgiaemc.com/page/outages. The next written update is scheduled late today.

Georgia EMC  is the statewide trade association representing the state’s 41 EMCs, Oglethorpe Power Corp., Georgia Transmission Corp. and Georgia System Operations Corp.  Collectively, Georgia’s customer-owned EMCs provide electricity and related services to 4.4 million people, nearly half of Georgia’s population, across 73 percent of the state’s land area. To learn more, visit www.georgiaemc.com  and follow us on  Facebook  and  Twitter.

Georgia Transmission Corporation plans, builds and maintains more than 3,100 miles of high-voltage powerlines and 650 substations that deliver electric power to 38 electric membership corporations (EMCs) across the state. Georgia Transmission and our member EMCs are not-for-profit cooperatives that serve approximately 4.1 million people in nearly 70 percent of the state’s land area. See www.gatrans.com

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