The Transformer
OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF CANOOCHEE ELECTRIC MEMBERSHIP CORPORATION
Don’t Shoot at Power Lines
Damages Can Be Costly and Cause Outages for EMCs
By Victoria Scharf DeCastro
As dove-hunting season approaches, Georgia’s electric membership cooperatives (EMCs) are reminding hunters about the hazards of firing at doves perched on power lines and fiber-optic lines.
Power lines are popular roosting spots for doves, which typically congregate on the lines while taking a break from flying or before descending to the ground to feed. This makes them easy targets.
Though it may be tempting to shoot at a bird while it is sitting on a line, firing at power lines is always a bad idea. Shooting in the direction of power lines, fiber cables, insulators and other electrical equipment can result in extensive damage that could cost thousands of dollars to repair. Such unnecessary costs take funds away from other projects and even lead to higher utility bills. Damage to equipment also could leave businesses and homes without power and internet for extended periods of time.
There is also the risk of physical harm to oneself and others. Damaged power lines can produce high-voltage arcs that can ignite surrounding vegetation and start a fire. Plus, a downed line may electrocute people on the ground.
“When it comes to safety, hunters should always keep a reasonable distance from power lines and electrical equipment. A wise preventive measure would be to note in advance the location of power lines and other electrical equipment on the property where dove hunting will take place, especially densely wooded areas where power lines are hard to see,” says Michael Wasson, CEO at Canoochee EMC.
Fiber-optic cable runs adjacent to and beneath the
electric lines. Optical fibers are protected by glass tubing, which shatters when shot and can disrupt phone and internet service.
On opening day of dove season last year, a main fiber cable was shot in Clarkesville-based Habersham EMC’s service area. The outage affected 120 members, including internet users who were without service until repairs could be made. That same afternoon, another fiber cable was shot, and the next day, a third fiber cable was damaged.
Central Georgia EMC in Jackson experienced 15 incidents of shooting damage in the 2022 and 2023 hunting seasons. The co-op is still gathering the construction, labor and material costs for replacing the damaged fiber, but splicing costs alone have surpassed $27,000, with the cost of labor and materials predicted to far exceed that.
“Fiber repairs are expensive and can be tedious, as a strand of fiber is about as thick as a strand of hair. So, when you start splicing fiber to repair a damaged section, you must perfectly match and fuse two strands of hair on each end of the section being replaced,” Wasson says. “For a 96-count fiber
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Dove-Hunting Season Dates
According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the 2024-25 official dove-hunting dates are as follows:
• Sept. 7-Oct. 13
• Nov. 23-Dec. 1
• Dec. 19-Jan. 31, 2025
Statewide shooting hours for all dove-hunting dates are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. For the latest information about dove hunting in Georgia, visit georgiawildlife.com/migratory-bird-info
Canoochee Electric Membership Corp.
Report of Nominations for Directors by the Nominating Committee
The Committee on Nominations appointed by the directors of Canoochee EMC met on the 11th day of August 2024 at 5 p.m. at the Office of the Corporation in Reidsville, Tattnall County, Ga., to make nominations of the members of the corporation to serve as directors to be voted on at the Annual Meeting of Members to be held on the 8th day of October 2024, with the following members of the committee present, to wit:
• Caroll F. Anderson
• Shane J. Brannen
• Noah Covington
• Mike Dollar
• Tina Eason
• Ronnie Holland
• Don Martin
• Barry Miller
• Jesse L. Rhodes
The duties of the committee were explained to them, and they were advised that the terms of the following three directors would expire at the time of the holding of the Annual Meeting of Members. Their successors would be elected for a term of three years, or until their successors were elected and qualified.
It was explained that the directors were to be elected from their respective districts in order that all sections of the area served by the cooperative would have representation on the Board of Directors.
After considering various members of the corporation, their residence, experience and qualifications, the members of the corporation whose names appear listed below were nominated to be voted on as directors of the corporation by the members of the corporation at the Annual Meeting of Members of the corporation thereof or by early voting, to wit:
• District 2–Lavanda Lynn
• District 5–Marvin E. Bradley Jr.
• District 8–Robert E. Dasher
The Secretary was instructed to post a list of the parties nominated, as provided in the Bylaws. There being no further business to come before the meeting, upon motion made, duly seconded and carried, said meeting was adjourned.
This 11th day of June 2024,
Carroll Anderson
Chairman, Nominating Committee
Don C. Martin
Secretary, Nominating Committee
Don’t Shoot at Power Lines,
line, two crews—one at each end of the replaced section— will make a total of 192 splices, taking six to eight hours to complete.”
Damaging electrical equipment violates Georgia law*, which states that anyone who “knowingly and without authority and by force or violence interferes with the operation of any system of public communication, public transportation, sewerage, drainage, water supply, gas, power or other public utility service or with any constituent property thereof” could face criminal charges and/or be held liable
Continued from page 18A
for the cost of repairs.
Although most hunters are committed to safety, gunfire damage to power lines and fiber lines is a growing issue statewide. To help ensure a safe and successful dove-hunting season, Canoochee EMC urges hunters to remain aware of the dangers involved and the damage caused by firing at birds perched on power lines and fiber lines.
Victoria Scharf DeCastro is a freelance writer based in Suwanee.
* Code O.C.G.A. § 16-7-22(b)(2)
EV Car Show
Canoochee EMC Annual Meeting
Tuesday, Oct. 8, Noon-2 p.m.
Tattnall Campground, Claxton
Have an EV and willing to participate? Connect with us! Scan the QR Code.
Claim Capital Credits Return
E E
ach year, earnings collected in excess of the cost of providing service are allocated to Canoochee EMC’s members. This allocation is what we call capital credits, or patronage capital. We pay out capital credits in two ways, by having a general retirement or at the time of a member’s passing.
When we have a general retirement, we find that not everyone claims these funds, or we have lost contact with them. We hold these funds for our members for five years, at which point we make a final push to find these members.
Members have until Sept. 30, 2024, to claim funds from the 2018 general retirement from the years 1984-85. After that, funds will be deposited into the Canoochee EMC Foundation Inc. and be earmarked for education or economic development that benefits members.
To learn more, visit www.canoocheeemc.com/unclaimed-capital-credits.
Home Energy Survey
Canoochee EMC will be conducting a residential Home Energy Survey this fall. The purpose of the survey is to collect information needed to plan for the future. Your participation is very important to us, so please consider completing the online survey if you receive a request. We know your time is valuable, and we appreciate your effort in participating in the survey.
Touchstone Energy Senior Citizen of the Month
Congratulations to Terry Lee of Pembroke for being selected as the August 2024 Touchstone Energy Senior Citizen of the Month.
What Is Mutual Aid and Why Does It Matter?
By Jennah Denney
Electric cooperatives employ a variety of methods to reduce the likelihood of power outages, from regular tree trimming and equipment maintenance and repairs to local grid updates. But outages do occur, and when they do, co-ops are ready to respond.
Another way co-ops prepare for major outages and disasters is through mutual aid, which is a collaborative approach to emergency planning. The mutual aid model allows electric co-ops to help each other out during times of need. This approach permits co-ops to “borrow” restoration workers from other co-ops, thereby increasing the workforce response to areas impacted by a major outage event. It’s essentially about neighbors helping neighbors, even when those neighbors are fellow co-ops located hundreds of miles away.
Electric co-ops operate according to seven Cooperative Principles, and Principles 6 and 7, Cooperation Among Cooperatives and Concern for Community, are directly connected to the mutual aid model.
The concept of mutual aid originated with the rural electrification efforts in the 1930s. From the very beginning, electric co-ops relied on each other to assist in times of need, and mutual aid provides an essential safety net in times of crisis.
Mutual aid ultimately benefits co-ops’ members. During major outage events, co-ops can increase their workforce and respond more quickly, leading to shorter outage times for members.
Disaster response and mutual aid is managed by electric co-ops, as well as co-ops’ statewide organizations like Georgia EMC, which can also assist with coordination between states, helping ensure the necessary personnel and equipment that are the key ingredients of the mutual aid recipe. These efforts require effective logistics management and experts who fully understand resource allocation and have the know-how to respond under pressure.
During major outage events, a variety of equipment is necessary to complete repairs, including bucket trucks and other specialized vehicles, utility poles,
transformers and wires. Skilled lineworkers, tree trimmers, damage assessors and other key personnel are also often shared among co-ops. These experts provide critical skills and manpower to speed up the restoration process.
Because the national network of transmission and distribution infrastructure owned by electric co-ops has been built to federal standards, line crews from any electric co-op in the U.S. can arrive on the scene ready to provide emergency support and secure in their knowledge of the system’s engineering.
Today, mutual aid continues to be a vital part of how electric co-ops operate and serve members. The goal is to restore power as quickly and safely as possible after a major outage event, and by sharing resources, co-ops can significantly enhance their response capabilities.
Jennah Denney writes on consumer and cooperative affairs for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the national trade association representing more than 900 local EMCs.
During major outage events, a variety of equipment is necessary to complete repairs, including bucket trucks and other specialized vehicles, utility poles, transformers and wires. JOHN HUNEYCUTT, UNION POWER COOPERATIVE
By sharing resources, co-ops can significantly enhance their response capabilities.
