The Last Fifty ... The Next Fifty

Though I worked as a part-time summer student in the late 1960s, employee records indicate June 8, 1970 as my official start date with Central Georgia EMC. This month, I am honored to celebrate 50 years of serving the customer-owners of this organization while working with a remarkable group of employees at CGEMC.

In 1970, Central Georgia EMC was just 33 years into existence, serving 11,000 meters with 38 employees. Customers read their own meters, and CGEMC supervisors insisted on manually validating the calculations of our first computers.

The 1970s brought significant change to the electric utility industry. The U.S. oil embargo drove interest rates upward and Georgia Power to the brink of bankruptcy. These events led to the formation of what we know today as Oglethorpe Power and Georgia Transmission Corporation, the generation and transmission cooperatives owned by most of Georgia’s EMCs.

In 1982, I became General Manager (later changed to President/CEO) of CGEMC. Wholesale power costs were high, and system losses were nearly 10%. The first bucket truck was purchased to improve construction efficiency. CGEMC embarked on the largest project in organizational history in 1988 – converting system voltage from 12.5 to 25 kV. This project lasted for the next 20+ years.

The 1990s brought the dot-com explosion and the start of unprecedented growth to the CGEMC service area. As our meter count grew, energy sales doubled over the next decade. We joined Cooperative Energy Inc. (a power supply cooperative) in 1999 to have more control over wholesale power planning and purchases.

To accommodate the rapid growth that continued through most of the 2000s, CGEMC transitioned to digital mapping and staking programs, and we implemented Automated Meter Reading (AMR) technology. We upgraded SCADA systems for enhanced device controls, and our first Outage Management System (OMS) was installed in 2006 to expedite restoration efforts. That same year, CGEMC created The Central Georgia EMC Foundation to benefit non-profits in the communities we serve. The housing crisis of 2008 slowed system growth but provided an opportunity for additional technological advancements, such as prepaid metering.

In 2013, CGEMC became the wholesale electric supplier for the City of Hampton and continues to provide this service today. 2014 marked the birth of our Fault Location Isolation and Service Restoration (FLISR) system, which reduced annual consumer outage time by nearly half. 2016 was very busy as we began a transition to LED outdoor lighting, commenced implementation of a second-generation Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) system, migrated to a system control center, and announced an alliance with EMC Security to expand our ancillary services portfolio. Results from these implementations included national recognition as an industry leader in the use of technology, drastic reductions in system loss, significant improvements in reliability, and thousands of truck rolls saved on an annual basis.

All of that brings us to 2020, where we proudly serve over 58,000 consumers with 99 employees, comprising the most efficient electric cooperative workforce in all of Georgia. For eight consecutive years, CGEMC has ranked among the three lowest-cost electric providers in all of Georgia. We have established and maintained this position through the guidance of a driven board of directors, the hard work of many employees, and use of the latest technologies.

I am very proud to continue serving the customer-owners of Central Georgia EMC after 50 years of employment and an abundance of change. What I can forecast for the next 50 years is even more change as we enter a future filled with electric vehicles, distributed generation, and wireless technology. Regardless of what changes the future may hold for CGEMC, rest assured that we are committed to providing you with the most reliable electric service at the lowest practicable cost.

On a closer horizon, we have some exciting news to reveal within the next few months. Please stay engaged with us so you don’t miss out. Thank you again for the opportunity to serve as President/CEO of your cooperative and for 50 years of wonderful memories.

- George L. Weaver, President/CEO

notice of capital credit assignments

Central Georgia EMC (CGEMC) announces that the capital credit assignment for 2019 is 12.07 percent. In an electric cooperative structure such as CGEMC, each dollar paid in excess of the cost of providing service is an investment in CGEMC by its customer-owners.

At the end of the year, after all expenses are paid, any remaining funds are assigned to customer-owners’ accounts. CGEMC’s margins are used as capital until they can be returned through a general refund without impairing the cooperative’s financial condition.

Your capital credit assignment is calculated by multiplying your total electric bill for the year, minus the sales tax and any miscellaneous charges times the 12.07 percent. For example:

• If your annual bill totaled: $150 x .1207, your assignment is: $18.11
• If your annual bill totaled: $300 x .1207, your assignment is: $36.21
• If your annual bill totaled: $500 x .1207, your assignment is: $60.35
• If your annual bill totaled: $1,000 x .1207, your assignment is: $120.70

Note: Assignments do not include Central Georgia EMC large power accounts.

Capital credits explained