CONNECTIONS MAY 2016 | THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF COBB ELECTRIC MEMBERSHIP CORPORATION
Cobb EMC, Etowah High School and Holly Springs Elementary STEM Academy recently sponsored a Star Wars-themed LEGO® building competition for second- through eighth-graders and high school students. Students competed within their grade level and were given identical LEGO® kits to assemble. Judging was based on both speed and accuracy. Grandprize winners for each grade received $125, while runners-up received $100. For the adult rounds, first, second and third prize winners received LEGO® kits. Contestants were also able to take home all sets they built during competition.
Between competitions, East Cobb Robotics, Etowah High School and Walton High School robotics teams entertained more than 600 competitors and attendees with robotic displays and demonstrations. Additionally, Holly Springs hosted several interactive breakout sessions including balloon rockets and helicopter builds. Door prizes were also awarded to students who did not place. A total of $5,000 in proceeds raised at the event will benefit Etowah High School Robotics and Holly Springs Elementary STEM Academy.
Pictured below: Winning students stand with Wattson, Cobb EMC’s safety ambassador.
Upcoming events Office closing Cobb EMC will be closed May 30 for the Memorial Day holiday. Crews are always standing by for emergencies. Please call our automated outage system at 770-429-2100 in the event of an outage.
Annual Meeting The 2016 Annual Meeting will take place Sept. 17. Key dates & deadlines: • May 27: Nomination petitions for Director elections must be submitted (Sec. 3.07). Terms for directors of districts 4, 5 and 8 will be expiring at the Annual Meeting. • June 9: Member sponsored bylaw amendments must be submitted (Sec. 10.01). • August 12: Notice must be received from any member desiring to exceed the 5 minute speaking limitation for the Annual Meeting (Sec. 2.12). Stay up-to-date at cobbemc.com/ annualmeeting.
TIP OF THE MONTH
Avoid placing lamps or TV sets near your room air-conditioning thermostat. The thermostat senses heat from these appliances, which can cause the air conditioner to run longer than necessary.
cobbemc.com
Cobb EMC sponsors STEM LEGO competition
—Source: energy.gov
Pictured above: Third-graders compete in the finalist round.
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20A
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Cobb Electric Membership Corporation
BRINGING YOU THE
www.cobbemc.com Email: memberservices@cobbemc.com President and CEO
Chip Nelson
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chairman Vice Chairman
Bryan Boyd Tripper Sharp
Secretary-Treasurer Malcolm Swanson Eric Broadwell Kelly Bodner Edward Crowell David McClellan David Tennant Rudy Underwood Editorial Staff
Brooke Melton Angela Croce, CCC
Contacts & Office Hours Phone: 770-429-2100 Report an outage: 770-429-2100 Fax: 770-429-3330 Pay by phone: 1-855-730-8714 In person: 1000 EMC Parkway Marietta, GA 30060 Walk-in hours: Monday – Friday
POWER
OF MEMBERSHIP
Control your bill with our innovative rate As a Cobb EMC member, you’ll soon have the option to take advantage of a new rate that puts you in control of your electric bill. Available in June, the Smart Choice Rate is an innovative rate that gives members a simple way to reduce their electric bill by conserving energy during a limited number Chip Nelson of hours each summer. The Smart Choice Rate also makes President and CEO budgeting easy by minimizing fluctuation in power bills, allowing members to more easily budget expenses. What’s more, this rate plan helps the co-op save and, in turn, could help keep rates low. All members are part of a larger system and when energy use is lowered at the most critical times—during peak conservation hours when demand spikes— Cobb EMC can reduce the cost of electric generation. To fairly cover the cost of power production and transmission, utilities across the country use rates like Smart Choice. Cobb EMC’s Smart Choice Rate ensures that members who use a significant amount of energy during peak conservation hours pay for its availability, and those members who use less benefit from lowering their use during these hours. One of the biggest advantages of being served by a cooperative is that we work only for you. In a challenging electric utility industry, we are committed to safely delivering reliable, competitively priced electricity to our members. Learn more about the Smart Choice Rate at www.cobbemc.com/smart.
(8 a.m. – 6 p.m.)
Drive-through hours: Monday – Friday (7 a.m. – 6 p.m.) Effective July 5, new walk-in and drive-through hours will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Member Care Center hours: Monday – Friday (7 a.m. – 6 p.m.) Saturday (8 a.m. – 3 p.m.) Express Pay drop box is available for non-cash payments 24/7
Do we have your latest information on file? It helps us alert you in case of changes in service that could affect your home or business. Plus, by providing your email, you’ll be made aware of the latest discounts, promotions and news available to our members. Updating your account information is simple. Give us a call at 770-429-2100, or visit www.cobbemc.com/update.
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BRINGING YOU THE POWER OF MEMBERSHIP
Smart Choice Rate
Start taking control of your bill today. The Smart Choice Rate gives you a smart way to manage your bill. Thanks to this innovative rate program, you have a simple way to reduce your annual electric bill. Simply control your use at the right time to control your bill. With this rate, by lowering your use during peak hours just a little, you can lower your annual cost of service. Learn more at www.cobbemc.com/takecontrol
GEORGIA MAGAZINE
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BRINGING YOU THE
POWER OF
ENERGY
Install energy-efficient LED lights under your cabinets for an instantly brighter kitchen. cobbemc.com/conserve
Beat the peak Did you know that you could help your co-op reduce how much it pays for electricity? It’s true. All you have to do is lower energy use during peak conservation hours. On certain days in the months of June through September from 2 to 7 p.m., Cobb EMC’s demand peaks. This usually occurs on weekdays when we experience the highest temperatures. Limiting your energy use during these hours helps the co-op save and, in turn, could help keep rates low. Lower your energy use to beat the peak! Learn more at cobbemc.com/beatthepeak.
Make energy efficiency work for your budget A budget can feel restricting when considering energy-efficient upgrades for a home. Try these no-cost and low-cost tips to boost home efficiency without stretching your budget! No-cost energy efficiency tips • Ceiling fans are a great way to keep cool during summer months and can even allow you to raise your thermostat setting about 4 degrees without affecting your comfort. • Got a programmable thermostat? Use it to automatically lower and raise your home’s temperature. Setting your thermostat 2 degrees Fahrenheit higher in summer and lower in the winter results in major energy savings. • When cooking, keep the lids on pots, and let hot food cool off before placing it in the refrigerator. Low-cost energy efficiency tips • Check for gaps around doors and windows. Can you see daylight? If so, you can seal cracks with caulk or weather stripping to reduce air flow. • When lightbulbs burn out, replace them with LEDs, which have an estimated operational life span of up to 50,000 hours. Look for the ENERGY STAR® label when purchasing LEDs. • Summer is right around the corner! Have you changed your home’s air filter? A dirty air filter makes your system work harder to keep you cool, which wastes energy. Source: U.S. Department of Energy
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BRINGING YOU THE
POWER OF
MEMBERSHIP
What makes us who we are? Four simple ideas: energy, membership, safety and community. We bring you the power of all four. cobbemc.com/myemc
Show us your design skills!
Member wins laptop
Design our Annual Meeting T-shirt and win cash Cobb EMC invites members to show off their design talents by creating a oneof-a-kind T-shirt for our Annual Meeting. The winning design will be printed on thousands of T-shirts, which will be distributed Sept. 17 at the Annual Meeting. The winner also receives a $1,000 cash prize. How the contest works Design a T-shirt that relates to Cobb EMC or energy efficiency and submit your artwork by June 30. After the closing date for submissions, June 30, at 5 p.m., up to three finalists will be selected. In July, the designs will be shared on Cobb EMC’s Facebook page where fans can vote for their favorite design. The winner will be announced at the Annual Meeting. For a list of contest deadlines and details, visit www.cobbemc.com/tshirt. • The first place winner receives $1,000 cash and their design printed on thousands of T-shirts. • The second place finalist receives $500 cash.
YOUR DESIGN HERE
• The third place finalist receives $250 cash. How to enter Once your design is ready, complete the online submission form and upload your artwork. On our website, you’ll find the submission form, contest details, example T-shirt designs, frequently asked questions and official rules. All contest participants must adhere to the official rules of the contest.
2nd $500 cash
1st
$1,000 cash
Your design on thousands of T-shirts.
Chattahoochee Technical College student and Cobb EMC member Nick Holt was the lucky winner of GEORGIA Magazine’s 2015 laptop giveaway contest. Pictured: Holt receives a new Dell laptop from Cobb EMC’s Angela Croce, director of corporate communications, and Mark Goddard, director of commercial marketing and Chattahoochee Tech Board of Trustees member.
3rd $250 cash
GEORGIA MAGAZINE
20E
BRINGING YOU THE
POWER OF
SAFETY
When working in the yard, keep ladders at least 15 feet away from power lines. cobbemc.com/safety
• Call 770-429-2100 and follow the automated prompts. • Visit cobbemc.com/ outagecenter to report an outage, view an estimated restoration time and find important safety tips.
2. Call before you dig. Once you have your planting area selected, make sure to call Georgia 811 before putting a shovel in the ground. The “Call Before You Dig” number is a free service that locates and marks underground public utilities. Call at least three days in advance of when you want to dig to provide enough time for a professional to locate underground utilities such as electrical, gas, water, cable and telephone.
Give T R E E
3. Check the weather forecast before working outdoors. If it’s raining or the ground is wet, do not use electric power or yard tools. Always store power tools and extension cords in dry areas. Replace any that have been damaged by water. Source: Safe Electricity
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S a Chance
Trees with mature height >40’ tall
50’ away 50 ft
Mature trees <40’ tall
30’ away
40 ft
Small trees & shrubs <25’ tall
30 ft
within 20’
20 ft 10 ft
Within 20 ft (but not under lines)
ft
For 24/7 outage reporting, please use one of the following methods:
1. Decide what and where you want to plant. When considering placement, select a planting location that will not interfere with utility lines both in the air and underground. Tree branches can interfere with overhead power lines and roots can do the same with underground utilities.
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Follow us on social media to stay informed during an outage. However, power outages should not be reported on our social media sites. Our social media team cannot schedule crews, and these accounts are not monitored 24/7.
Starting your spring gardening soon? It’s important to know what lies underground before prepping the garden. Consider the following tips before you begin digging:
ft
Cobb EMC works year-round to make sure we’re ready to respond to outages. When severe weather is predicted, our trucks are stocked and our crews are ready to mobilize if an outage occurs.
Planting tips to remember
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Report an outage
Trees planted too close to power lines grow into a BIG problem. To prevent power outages and safety hazards, these trees need to be trimmed and sometimes removed. Do your part to keep trees healthy and prevent power outages. Plant trees a safe distance from power distribution lines.
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BRINGING YOU THE
POWER OF
COMMUNITY
RODNEY CHRISTOPHER
Our purpose is mighty: to power communities, and empower members to improve the quality of their lives. cobbemc.com/community
Cobb EMC announces 2016 Washington Youth Tour winners Local students set sights on leadership trip Cobb EMC recently selected three winners for this year’s Washington Youth Tour scholarship program. • First place: Olivia Klingler, of Etowah High School, will receive a $1,500 scholarship, a trip to Washington, D.C., and eligibility to interview for Cobb EMC’s summer internship. • Second place: Veena Jaipradeep, of Milton High School, will receive a $1,000 scholarship, a trip to Washington, D.C., and eligibility to interview for Cobb EMC’s summer internship. • Third place: Trey Collins III, of North Cobb Christian School, will receive a $500 scholarship. The 2016 Washington Youth Tour is a fully paid leadership trip sponsored by 38 of Georgia’s electric co-ops, including Cobb EMC. As Georgia’s oldest leadership program for teens, the Youth Tour is designed to teach students about U.S. history, the role of democracy, the importance of community and public service, and the need for civic leadership. Winners Klingler and Jaipradeep will travel to Washington, D.C., June 9-16. While there, these student delegates will join nearly 1,600 Youth Tour participants from co-ops across the nation, providing another life experience: the chance to meet and learn from a diverse group of peers representing nearly every state in the U.S. These students also tour museums, memorials and monuments, providing a history lesson that can’t be learned from any textbook.
A little change makes a BIG difference The Cobb EMC Community Foundation has awarded more than $1,672,300 in Operation Round Up® funds, to date, with $76,500 going to the following nonprofits in March: • 100 Black Men of North Metro • Achieve Through Education • Act Together Ministries • Advocates for Bartow’s Children • Bullock Foundation Inc. • Chattahoochee Tech Foundation • Cobb Community Alliance to Prevent Substance Abuse Inc. • Destiny’s Daughters of Promise • The Georgia Ballet • Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Metro Atlanta • KSU Research and Service Foundation • LGE Community Credit Union • Lost Mountain Kiwanis
Visit cobbemc.com/roundup for a full list of March recipients or to learn how to request funding.
The Washington Youth Tour was inspired by former President Lyndon Johnson who, as a senator in 1965, encouraged electric cooperatives “to send youngsters to the nation’s capital where they can actually see what the flag stands for and represents.”
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BRINGING YOU THE POWER OF MEMBERSHIP
Looking for an HVAC expert? We’ve already done the research for you! As a member of Cobb EMC, you are connected to a network of contractors through our Approved Contractor Network. Below are our approved HVAC contractors, listed A through G. Look for the rest of our HVAC contractors in our July newsletter. A complete list of participating approved contractors is always available at www.cobbemc.com/contractors. Air Conditioning and Heating
Brucker HVAC www.bruckerhvac.com
Dayco—Air Reliant www.daycosystems.com
A Saylor Company www.asaylor.com
Casteel Heating & Cooling www.casteelair.com
Dependable Services www.dependableservices.com
A-Team Services Heating & Air www.ateamheatingandair.com
Central Heating & Air Conditioning www.centralheatofga.com
Dickerson Heating & Air www.dd-hvac.com
Accutemp Heating & Cooling www.accutempair.com
Champion Air Systems www.championairsystems.net
DLM Heating & Air www.dlmheatingandair.com
ACR Heating & Air www.acrheatingandair.com
Cheshire Heating & A/C Co. www.cheshirehvac.com
Dobbs Heating & Air www.dobbshvac.com
Air Alliance www.airalliance-llc.com
Cherokee HVAC www.cherokeehvac.com
Ductz of Greater Atlanta www.ductzatlanta.com
Airstar Heating & Air www.airstarheatingandac.com
Christian Brothers Mechanical www.christianbrothersmechanical.com
E. Dennis Air Conditioning www.eddennishvac.ruudreliable.net
Airtech Mechanical Phone: (770) 819-2500
Controlled Climate Services www.controlledclimateservices.com
E. Smith Heating & Air Conditioning www.esmithair.com
All-Tech Heating & Cooling Phone: (770) 421-0081
Coolray Heating & Cooling www.coolray.com
Edwards Heating & Air www.edwardsheating.com
Allatoona Heating & Cooling www.allatoonaheatingandair.com
Cool Tech HVAC www.cool-techhvac.com
Estes Heating and Air Conditioning www.estesair.com
Assured Comfort Heating & Air www.assuredcomfort.com
Cool Air Mechanical www.770coolair.com
Extreme Mechanical www.extremelytrane.com
Atlanta Air Authority www.atlantaairauthority.com
Cunningham Associates Heating and Air Conditioning www.cunninghamhvac.com
Green Heating & Cooling www.greenheatingandcooling.com
Atlanta Air Care www.atlantaaircare.com Bartlett Heating & Cooling www.callbartlett.com
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D. McKeon Heating & Air www.dmckeon.com
Gus HVAC www.gushvac.com
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