EMCs Continue Work to Rebuild Distribution Network in South and East Georgia

TUCKER, Ga. – EMCs are currently reporting approximately 122,700 outages primarily in South Central, Southeast and East Georgia. The peak number of outages caused by Hurricane Helene was 435,000, making it one of most destructive storms on record for EMCs in Georgia. EMCs currently estimate that within two weeks, 85% of all outages will be restored to locations that can take power.

At the height of the storm, 117 high-voltage transmission lines serving EMCs were offline, with multiple segments damaged along each, as well as nearly 200 electrical substations. Georgia Transmission has made significant progress toward restoring service to these systems and final repairs are imminent. Their teams will now transition their focus to supporting member EMCs with their continued efforts to restore the local distribution systems, until every EMC member has their lights back on.
The pace of member restoration on the distribution side will naturally slow down at this stage, as EMC linemen face a number of unique challenges:

• Several EMCs are rebuilding as much as 100 percent of their distribution system, while others are repairing and replacing significant portions of their network as well.
• EMCs have more than doubled their workforce with thousands of additional linemen, contractors and support personnel. Crews have and will continue to arrive in affected areas from out of state and from the unaffected and restored portions of Georgia throughout each day.
• The currently affected EMCs serve enormous land areas and have far fewer members per mile of line (an average of five) compared with investor-owned utilities (average of 34) and publicly owned utilities, or municipal, (with an average of 48, nearly five times that of an electric co-op).
• EMCs report historically high numbers of downed trees and power poles, surpassing previous records at many EMCs. Linemen are replacing thousands of broken poles---which requires as much as four hours per pole in ideal working conditions.

Several base camps are set up across the affected areas for EMC linemen, providing food, housing and laundry services to meet the needs of lineworkers. These set-ups are continuously expanding as additional linemen and support personnel join the effort. EMC crews are currently working alongside linemen from 12 other states including Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and Alabama. Additional crews from Florida will be arriving as soon as their restoration concludes.

Outage Information:
A map showing current outages by region, updated every 15 minutes, can be found at http://www.georgiaemc.com/outages. To report power outages and gain more detailed outage and restoration updates, customers should contact their local EMC provider.

Electricity for Medical Needs:
EMCs are doing everything possible to restore power, but for those that require electricity for medical needs, EMCs continue to recommend temporary relocation. If relocation is not an option, EMCs recommend securing a generator from a friend or neighbor or seeking help at a local medical facility.

Safety Tips:
Safety continues to be a top priority in the restoration process. We recommend individuals keep a safe distance from crews working and stay away from downed power lines. Those that are using a generator as a temporary power source should follow the recommended generator safety tips, listed below, for the duration of the outage.

Generator Usage and Safety
• If using a generator, follow the manufacturer’s operating instructions and all safety guidelines.
• Never operate a generator, grill, or camp stove indoors, such as in your home, crawlspace, basement, or garage.
• Never connect generators to another power source, such as power lines. The reverse flow of electricity or "backfeed" can electrocute an unsuspecting utility worker.



About Georgia EMC:
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 X.

About Georgia Transmission:
Georgia Transmission Corp., a not-for-profit cooperative owned by 38 Electric Membership Corporations (EMCs), owns more than 5,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines and more than 780 substations. These facilities deliver power to Georgia’s EMCs providing electricity to more than 4.5 million Georgians. For more information, visit gatransmission.com.

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