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STORY CONTACT:
(Cumming, May 6, 2004)—Georgia’s 42 Electric Membership Corporations (EMCs), including Sawnee EMC, Georgia Transmission Corporation and Oglethorpe Power Corporation recently donated $3,000 to the United Service Organization (USO) of Georgia, a charter affiliate of the USO World Organization. Either through direct services or information and referral, the Georgia USO provides military personnel crisis intervention services, transportation referral assistance, emergency food, temporary lodging referral assistance, family holiday events and a hospitality center with children’s area, among many other services. Georgia is home to 13 military installations, and officials of the state’s electric cooperatives recognize the sacrifice made by military service personnel. “We owe such a debt of gratitude to the men and women who are fighting to keep us safe at home,” says Georgia EMC President/CEO A. Paul Wood. “This donation was a token of our appreciation and a way to let them know that their courage has not gone unnoticed.” The check presentation, to honor the state’s military personnel and Georgia’s congressional delegation, was a highlight of the May 2-5, 2004 Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. During the four-day event, more than 200 EMC managers, directors and staff representing 33 EMCs met with members of Congress to brief them on federal issues critical to the success of electric co-ops in Georgia and across the U.S. The purpose of the annual conference is to encourage lawmakers to protect the needs of EMC consumers who might be adversely impacted by electricity legislation pending in Congress. While many areas of concern to EMCs have been addressed, some critical issues regarding new federal regulations remain, and if unresolved, could lead to higher rates for EMC consumers. Key issues in the 108th Congress include a permanent exemption for utility service vehicles from hours-of-service regulations, national energy policy, Rural Utilities Service funding, re-authorization of the Disaster Mitigation Act and changes to the Clean Air Act. The $3,000 USO donation will be earmarked to assist military personnel in the state. The USO of Georgia, because of its strategic location in Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, assists thousands of military personnel annually. Georgia EMC is the statewide trade association representing the state’s 42 EMCs, Oglethorpe Power Corporation and Georgia Transmission Corporation. Through this statewide network, the 42 customer-owned EMCs provide electricity and related services to 3.9 million people, nearly half of Georgia’s population, across 73 percent of the state’s land area.
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