EMCs Restore Service for Thousands and Address New Outages

Tucker, Ga. -- Georgia’s electric membership cooperatives (EMCs) are reporting approximately 19,500 customers without power as a result of high winds, snow and sleet blanketing much of north central and northeast Georgia. Throughout the day, power has been restored to thousands of customers, but additional outages have occurred as high winds and winter weather conditions continue throughout today and tonight.

In anticipation of the storm, EMCs began reviewing crew assignments early last week so they could quickly dispatch help to affected areas. In storm situations, EMCs follow their disaster plans which lay the groundwork for quickly getting help from sister EMCs if it is needed.  All employees and contract crews have been on a heightened state of readiness and were quickly mobilized to implement the restoration procedures.

Customers should report power outages by contacting their local EMC and stay away from downed lines and report them immediately to their local utility or call 911.

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 more than four million people, half of Georgia’s population, across 73 percent of the state’s land area.