CONNECTIONS
The Official Newsletter of Cobb Electric Membership Corporation | JANUARY 2025
DELEGATES
AMONG THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST
Four students from Cobb EMC’s service territory represented the co-op among the 1,800 teens participating in last year’s Washington Youth Tour (WYT). Once a year, high school students are selected by the state’s 37 participating EMCs to represent Georgia as WYT delegates on the all-expenses-paid trip. This leadership experience is a weeklong leadership and citizenship development experience in the nation’s capital that includes meetings with state and national leaders, leadership training and visits to many major sites.
Cobb EMC and its volunteer Women’s Task Force selected the following delegates to represent the co-op and attend the annual WYT: Sophia Joya, Lassiter High School; Kaitlin Long, North Cobb Christian School; Lily Meredith, Woodstock High School; Ashley Wallace, Harrison High School.
Did you know? Our four delegates didn’t just win an all-expenses-paid sightseeing tour. This top-notch leadership experience includes participation in our Youth Leadership Program aimed at developing students’ networking and leadership skills while learning about their electric cooperative and the community. The delegates are also eligible to receive the George R. Ford Scholarship and apply for a paid internship as part of the Youth Leadership Program. During the internship, the students are assigned multiple projects including organizing volunteer opportunities for Cobb EMC employees and coordinating events for local charities.
Applications for the all-expenses-paid 2026 Washington Youth Tour leadership experience will be available spring 2025 at cobbemc.com/Scholarships.
2024 Washington Youth Tour
Cobb EMC representatives from left: Sophia Joya; Lily Meredith; Kaitlin Long; Ashley Wallace.
The Washington Youth Tour includes visits to:
• National Mall
• Smithsonian Institution
• U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
• National memorials: World War II, Martin Luther King Jr., Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jefferson, Lincoln, Korean War Veterans, Vietnam Veterans, U.S. Marine Corps
• Arlington National Cemetery
• Lafayette Square at the White House
• George Washington’s Mount Vernon
• Washington National Cathedral
• National Museum of African American History and Culture
• Library of Congress
• National Archives
WORKING TO CONTINUE DELIVERING VALUE BEYOND ELECTRICITY TO OUR MEMBERS
I want to take a moment and let you know how valued you are as a Cobb EMC member. Our entire organization is solely focused on how to improve the value of your Cobb EMC membership and the experience you have with us. I’m proud to share that we have once again surpassed our goals and set new records.
Our mission at Cobb EMC is to bring you safe, reliable power at affordable rates. Our board of directors and employees have worked diligently to accomplish this. As a result, I am happy to announce that there will be no rate increase in 2025 and our members’ bills are $42 lower per month than the state average this year. We ranked #1 back to back in Georgia for having the lowest rates among all reporting electric utilities in 2023 and 2024, according to the Public Service Commission survey.
As a not-for-profit electric cooperative, we are owned by you, our members, and we are here to serve you. Since 2013, Cobb EMC has given $71.8 million back to members in the form of a Wholesale Power Adjustment (WPA) credit on electric bills. When we save money, we give it back to you. Look for the most recent WPA credit on your December bill, which is determined by your individual use.
Thanks to the work of our operations team and investments in innovative technology, Cobb EMC still ranks #1 in the nation for reliability, according to the IEEE1. We know how vital our service is to powering your lives and businesses.
As we begin a new year, you will see how your Cobb EMC membership goes beyond electricity. We will continue helping our neighbors and local organizations while accomplishing great things in the community we serve. We will continue to lead the way in creating sustainable energy for the future. Most of all, you will see us working for you.
Thank you for being a valued Cobb EMC member.
Kevan Espy President & CEO
QUICK HIGHLIGHTS
$71.8 MILLION since 2013 in cash back to members in the form of a WPA.
#1 IN
THE
STATE for lowest rates among all electric utilities.
$42 IN SAVINGS
Members’ monthly bills are $42 lower than the average electric bill.
NO INCREASES
Cobb EMC rates will remain the same for 2025.
QUICK AND EASY ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT
Did you know you can access your Cobb EMC account easily from the palm of your hand, anywhere and anytime? Download the Cobb EMC app today at cobbemc.com/App to take advantage of the following features that simplify how you manage your electric account:
Make a payment to your account with no credit card fee for residential members. Payments post within minutes of the transaction.
Sign up for billing and payment notifications to be notified when your next bill is ready for review and payment.
View your daily and hourly energy use to find ways to save energy all year-round.
Use two-factor authentication to add an extra level of security to your account.
That’s not all! Visit cobbemc.com/Account to choose your own due date, explore our rate options, sign up for paperless billing and set up Auto Pay for your account.
NEW TO ONLINE ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT?
If you are new to online account management, here’s a few features you can’t miss out on to stay informed about your Cobb EMC account:
• BILL & PAY: Find your billing history, make a payment to your account and view your payment history.
• USAGE: See your daily and hourly energy use and compare your energy use over a period of time.
• MEMBER RESOURCES: Find energy efficiency tips, natural gas savings and more.
UPDATES & TIPS FOR MEMBERS
CELEBRATE “CUT YOUR ENERGY COSTS DAY” ON JAN. 10
A new year brings new opportunities to save energy and money. Take simple steps, like changing out air filters, adjusting the thermostat and turning off lights, to save energy and lower your monthly bill.
Visit cobbemc.com/Save to learn about Cobb EMC’s energy efficiency programs designed with members in mind.
OFFICE CLOSING
Offices will be closed Jan. 20 for the MLK holiday. Crews are always standing by for emergencies. If you have an outage, report via text at 898-362, on the phone at 770-429-2100 or via our outage center online at cobbemc.com/ OutageCenter.
TIPS TO AVOID ENERGY SCAMS
Never make a utility bill payment to anyone calling you on the phone, coming to your door, texting you or emailing you. Always call Cobb EMC at the number provided on your bill or on our website if you have a question about payment or billing information.
Know our bill payment options online, by phone, financial institution, mail or in person by visiting cobbemc.com/Pay.
UNDERSTANDING POWER BLINKS
Have you ever noticed your lights blink? Or perhaps you’ve noticed a blinking microwave clock when you arrive home from work. When this happens, you’ve likely experienced a brief disruption to your electric service which could result from a power blink. Power blinks are brief service interruptions, and they’re typically caused by a fault (short circuit) on a power line or a protective device that’s working in reaction to the fault. Faults can occur through a variety of instances, like squirrels, birds or other small animals contacting an energized power line, tree branches touching a power line or lightning and other similar events. In fact, when it comes to power disruptions caused by critters, squirrels reign supreme. In 2023 alone, squirrels were responsible for more than 600 outages at Cobb EMC.
Any of the events noted above can cause your power to blink, but you may also experience a brief interruption when protective devices that act like circuit breakers are working to detect the fault.
Believe it or not, these brief power blinks caused by protective devices are actually good because that means the equipment is working as it should to prevent a prolonged, more permanent power outage.
FEWER OUTAGES
We proactively install protective devices to prevent extended outages and save our wildlife. In 2024, we replaced 650 poles and upgraded critical equipment.
Regardless of the cause, Cobb EMC crews will be on their way to inspect the damage and make necessary repairs after any power outage. And you can help too! Any time you experience repeated disruptions to your electric service, please let us know by calling 770-429-2100 or visiting cobbemc.com.
