Electric Cooperatives in Georgia Ready to Help Following Hurricane Sally

However, EMC leaders are quick to emphasize that crews will not be released in Georgia if restoration work is needed in their local communities.

“Our first priority is to address power outages in Georgia,” said Harry Reeves, vice president of training, education & safety for Georgia EMC. “Once restoration is complete here, EMCs can turn their attention to assisting Alabama and Florida repair their distribution systems. We have an unwritten agreement among a network of cooperatives across the country that says if we’re in trouble, they help us. In return, we help them.”

That philosophy was put into practice recently when Hurricane Laura made landfall in southwest Louisiana and devastated the electric distribution system. When called, 200 EMC line crews from Georgia traveled to Louisiana where they spent three weeks helping Jeff Davis Electric Co-op rebuild its distribution system which was completely destroyed and 100 percent without power following the storm.

When Hurricane Sally became a threat, Georgia EMC began participating in conference calls with statewide electric cooperative associations in a number of states including Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina, among others.

Crews from Georgia will head to Alabama beginning Friday and could possibly help electric co-ops in Florida, if needed. The number of EMCs in Georgia and personnel offering assistance could increase in the days ahead based on conditions and the extent of damage in those states.

While Reeves can’t say specifically in what order power will be restored in the affected areas, he notes that many utilities follow a standard industry practice to repair and energize lines. First, feeder and primary lines are repaired, then secondary and service lines next. This method restores power to the greatest number of people in the shortest amount of time.

The EMCs in Georgia have vast experience restoring power following major storms. In recent years, Georgia has been especially hard hit with hurricanes, tornadoes and ice/snow events. Consequently, EMC crews in the state have worked alongside co-ops in South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida, plus some from as far away as Michigan and Wisconsin following the historic damage caused by Hurricanes Irma and Michael.

Georgia EMC is the statewide trade association representing the state’s 41 electric cooperatives, Oglethorpe Power Corp., Georgia Transmission Corp. and Georgia System Operations Corp. Collectively, Georgia’s customer-owned co-ops 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.