In Your Community
It’s Getting Easier To Be Green
Cobb EMC reaffirms clean energy goals By Cory Sekine-Pettite
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Reprinted and updated from May/June 2021 obb EMC continues its commitment to its clean energy goals, and it reminds members that by 2030 the electric cooperative will reduce carbon emissions by 75 percent and double up on its renewable energy portfolio with a 200-percent increase. “We are passionate about a greener future while keeping our electric rates low and reliability high,” says Cobb EMC President/CEO Kevan Espy. “Furthermore, we are confident that we can achieve our renewable energy goals without passing any additional costs on to our valuable members.” So far, Cobb EMC is well on its way to producing cleaner energy, having already installed rooftop solar panels on its campus, completing a Solar Flower Garden and battery storage facility, and installing its utility-scale solar project. Further, this year, Cobb EMC will be among the few cooperatives in the nation that will
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incorporate microgrid technology. The system will allow the co-op to operate autonomously if the need arises by furnishing a continuous supply of power to the cooperative during any extended outages, which strengthens power grid resilience for faster response and recovery. “The microgrid is an evolving technology that will complement our existing solar and battery system to help create this autonomy,” Manish Murudkar, director of DER (distributed energy resource) Strategy told Cobb In Focus last year. “Our goal is to build a model for future microgrid projects, and increase the quality and resiliency of our power system.” “Cobb EMC is committed to a sustainable future while maintaining low rates and high reliability,” says Tim Jarrell, VP of Power Supply, Rates & DER Strategy at Cobb EMC. “Cobb EMC has set goals of increasing our renewable energy portfolio
by 200 percent, with a 75-percent reduction in our carbon footprint by 2030. We are also in a great position to meet any future state or federal mandates to achieve a clean energy future.” According to the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), the nation’s electric co-ops, which serve about 42 million people across the country, have nearly tripled their renewable energy capacity over the last 10 years. The group reports that co-ops have deployed enough wind and solar capacity to serve nearly 2.7 million homes, and that they will continue to rely on a diverse energy mix to ensure a reliable, affordable, and responsible electricity supply that meets the needs of their consumer-members. The best way to a cleaner future is through multiple sources of energy production, Jarrell told this publication last year, adding that while solar has the greatest
