CONNECTIONS The Official Newsletter of Cobb Electric Membership Corporation | NOVEMBER 2023
UPCOMING EVENTS
Offices will be closed on Nov. 23 and 24 for the Thanksgiving holiday. Crews are always standing by for emergencies. If you have an outage, you can report it at 770-429-2100 or via our outage center. cobbemc.com/outagecenter Join us for our Holiday Lights kickoff event on Nov. 30. Learn more on p. 20B.
ONLINE ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT UPGRADE
We are working to enhance our account management portal online. The new portal will include additional features that will provide a streamlined user experience. Look for more details in the new year.
DID YOU KNOW?
Cobb EMC members should not be concerned with news about cost overruns for Plant Vogtle units 3 and 4. Cobb EMC is not a participant in the Plant Vogtle expansion.
CHOOSE YOUR OWN DUE DATE
Are all your bills due at the same time? If you are a qualifying Cobb EMC residential member, you can choose a due date that is more convenient for you and your financial schedule. cobbemc.com/choose
COBB EMC ALWAYS WORKING FOR YOU As your local electric cooperative, Cobb EMC is committed to delivering value beyond electricity. This means keeping your rates affordable and your power on. Working to keep your rates low: We work hard every day to maintain rates as affordable as possible and to minimize the impact of necessary price increases for our members. In fact, Cobb EMC is ranked #1 in the state for the lowest rates among all electric utilities.* Thanks to careful leadership planning, securing future power needs and operating efficiently, here are some ways we’re working for our members:
• Over the last several years, Cobb EMC has absorbed more than $27 million in rising wholesale power costs rather than pass those costs along to you, all while industry prices and inflation increased at rapid rates. We have accomplished this with the help of dividends from Gas South, our wholly-owned subsidiary, and effectively managing our costs.
Working together to save energy and money: Members’ electric use varies based on several factors, including seasonality, square footage of the home, energy use habits and the efficiency of the home. To support your energy-saving efforts, our app allows you to view your daily and hourly energy use so you can monitor the real-time impact of your energy-saving actions. By making small changes to your energy-use habits, together we can help relieve pressure on the grid by conserving energy, reducing costs and saving money. Our Energy Savings Resource Center has expert-approved energy efficiency products, a valuable appliance calculator and DIY tips to help you save energy year-round. Learn more at cobbemc.com/save.
• Our board voted to return $15 million in excess revenue – known as capital credits – to members who received electricity from Cobb EMC in 2019 and/ or 2020. • Since 2013, Cobb EMC has given $46 million back to members in the form of a Wholesale Power Adjustment (WPA) credit on electric bills.
*According to the Georgia PSC 2023 Summer Residential Rate Survey.
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CONNECTIONS | The Official Newsletter of Cobb Electric Membership Corporation | NOVEMBER 2023
TIS THE SEASON FOR HOLIDAY LIGHTS Every year, Cobb EMC welcomes the holiday season with a kickoff event for the tour of lights. Join us at our Holiday Lights kickoff event, Thursday, Nov. 30 at our Solar Flower Garden from 6-8 p.m. for fun family activities like visiting Mr. and Mrs. Claus and enjoying warm cookies and hot chocolate. To learn more about our event, visit our website at cobbemc.com/holiday.
BRIGHTENING OUR COMMUNITY
PINK POWER INITIATIVE
MUTUAL AID DURING HURRICANE IDALIA Our crews took to the road to work with Excelsior EMC in South Georgia to assist with power restoration efforts where more than 11,000 homes lost power after Hurricane Idalia. The cooperative difference is providing mutual aid to other EMCs when natural disasters bring down power lines in their service areas. Mutual aid is one way we demonstrate the seven cooperative principles — helping co-ops out when it’s needed most. cobbemc.com/community
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Each October, to celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Cobb EMC and Northside Hospital partner to flock the yards of our community with a small army of flamingos. When you see the flamingos, we want you to remember the thousands of brave and resilient women who are impacted by breast cancer every year. Statistics show that one in eight U.S. women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, and 85% will not have a family history of the disease. Early detection is the key for all cancers, and we hope that our flight-hearted flamingos can serve as a reminder to make that appointment. cobbemc.com/pinkpower
COBB EMC MICROGRID WINS GLOBAL AWARD NRECA, Cobb EMC and three national laboratories have won global recognition from R&D World for their work on microgrid control modeling software that can boost grid reliability by using distributed assets to mitigate power outages. The software helps distribution operators evaluate a grid’s resilience against extreme events and plan for recovery and restoration using every asset available — distribution automation, microgrids, and other distributed generators and controls. cobbemc.com/sustainability
CONNECTIONS | The Official Newsletter of Cobb Electric Membership Corporation | NOVEMBER 2023
THE VALUE OF YOUR
MEMBERSHIP #1 in the state for low rates among all utilities2
#1
in the nation for reliable power1
#1
in the nation for restoring outages quickly1
highest-rated natural gas provider in the state3
LEADERSHIP
Kevan Espy, President & CEO
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
HURRICANE SEASON IN GEORGIA We’re committed to providing reliable, uninterrupted electrical service to our members. But sometimes, storms can cause power outages. When Mother Nature damages our electrical system, the safety of our members and employees matters most. We encourage you to use the following resources to prepare and protect your family before, during and after a storm or major outage. Advance planning for severe storms or other emergencies can reduce stress and keep you and your family safe. Install our free mobile app to stay informed of restoration efforts and other important co-op news and information, and visit the National Weather Service storm safety center for additional storm safety information. Is your family prepared to ride out a storm? You can visit ready.gov for preparedness resources. If you or a family member require medical devices powered by electricity or medicine that requires refrigeration, talk with your medical provider about
your power outage plan. Prepare now by making alternate arrangements if needed. We also encourage members with special needs to make a plan for emergencies before they happen, and identify an emergency support network and preparedness resources. Severe weather can leave more than damage in their wake— they can leave hidden dangers as well. When you’re dealing with storm cleanup or flood-damaged property, the prospect of an electrical accident is probably not top of mind. During an outage, check our app or outage center for power restoration updates, and listen to local news or a NOAA Weather Radio for storm and emergency information. We also want to remind you that if you see downed or damaged power lines, stay back and call us immediately at 770-429-2100. To read more tips, visit our Storm Safety and Preparedness Center at cobbemc.com/stormsafety.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU LOSE POWER
Rudy Underwood, Chairman Eric Broadwell, Vice Chairman Tripper Sharp, Secretary-Treasurer Kelly Bodner Bryan Boyd Edward Crowell David McClellan Malcolm Swanson David Tennant
CONTACT US
Phone: 770.429.2100 Pay by phone: 1.855.730.8714 Web: cobbemc.com
20C 1-According to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 2023 benchmark year study results. 2-According to the Public Service Commission Summer Rate Survey. 3-According to Google reviews as of 2023. Gas South is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cobb EMC.
CONNECTIONS | The Official Newsletter of Cobb Electric Membership Corporation | NOVEMBER 2023
HOLIDAY TIPS FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY Use your dishwasher efficiently. Only run full loads, and avoid using extra hot water by skipping the rinse-and-hold cycle. If your dishwasher doesn’t have an automatic air-dry switch, simply turn it off after the final rinse and prop the door open so the dishes will dry faster. Help large appliances work efficiently. Keep range-top burners clean from spills so they’ll reflect heat better. When it’s time to put leftovers in the refrigerator, make sure food is covered and allow it to cool down first. That way, the fridge doesn’t have to work harder to cool warm food. Appliances draw energy even when they’re not in use, like coffee makers, microwaves and toaster ovens. The Department of Energy has estimated that one home’s energy vampires left plugged in year-round can add up to $100-$200 in wasted energy costs. Unplug appliances that draw phantom energy load to save. Take your home to the next level with energy-saving and smart technology improvements through Cobb EMC’s Energy Network. You can receive up to $500 toward qualifying energy-efficient improvements for your home. The Energy Network offers an incentive to help you purchase and install energy improvements in your home. In return, you join Cobb EMC’s Energy Network, where you will share information about your energy-saving experiences via focus groups, surveys, webinars and more. Get started at cobbemc.com/energynetwork.
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20D
