the broad(band) horizon
According to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, more than one-third of the consumers served by Central Georgia EMC (CGEMC) do not have access to broadband. In response to this dire need, Georgia’s EMCs have worked diligently at the Public Service Commission to promote rural broadband expansion.
Many internet providers are now making contingent promises of expansion into “pockets” across EMC territories. They want to install broadband in the more densely populated areas and leave the rest of our EMC consumers to fend for themselves. Their “for-profit” way of doing business will leave many of our customer-owners without broadband.
We understand the need for broadband in the CGEMC territory. That is why we have worked on potential partnerships with eight different entities over the past two years. You might wonder why a partner is needed. The cost of deploying a broadband network is approximately $25,000 per mile, which totals more than $130 million across the 5,300-mile CGEMC system. An investment of this size requires private equity, and possibly public funding, to ensure the financial stability of your cooperative is not put at risk.
We are closer than ever to our goal of making affordable, high-speed broadband available to every CGEMC consumer—without cherry-picking the most densely populated areas like incumbent providers want to do. A network of this magnitude likely will take four years to deploy, so broadband service will not be available everywhere overnight when we are successful in finalizing an agreement. However, be assured that we are working diligently to bridge the digital divide for all CGEMC customer-owners while remaining true to our mission of providing you the highest quality services at the lowest practicable cost.
scholarship opportunities closing soon
Calling all college students! Twelve $1,000 scholarships will be awarded statewide to students with exemplary academic records. The funds may be applied to educational expenses at any accredited two- or four-year university, college, or vocational/technical institute in Georgia. The scholarships are available to any college-level students regardless of age.
Two applicants will also receive a $500 Central Georgia EMC scholarship!
The application process is underway. For full qualifications and to download your scholarship application, click the link below. Completed applications are due by February 5, 2021.
CGEMC places high priority on utilizing advanced technology to stay ahead of potential power disruptions. We utilize many of the tools above to monitor, identify, and correct system irregularities.
CGEMC utilizes Survalent’s Fault Location Isolation & Service Restoration (FLISR) “self-healing” technology. When we experience a large outage, the cause is automatically isolated to minimize impact to consumers. Generally, FLISR restores service everywhere except the problem area in 30 seconds or less. As a 2021 initiative, CGEMC will be evaluating uses for drone technology to further enhance system reliability.
capital credit checks
The Board of Directors of Central Georgia EMC announced a capital credit refund to electric consumers who received service during 2002. The refund checks were mailed to customer-owners on December 4, 2020.
The total amount of this refund was $2,676,810, which represents a majority of the margins for 2002. The margins are used as capital until they can be returned through a general refund without impairing the cooperative’s financial condition. Capital credits are a benefit of your membership.
Thank you for your patronage!
Mobile makes it easy
Make payments, check your balance, or report a power outage with a simple text! Start by texting JOIN to 352667 from the mobile phone number listed on your account. Once you receive your welcome alert, text START to opt-in and begin using our text services. Need a little help getting started? Our customer service team is available to walk you through the process. Call 770-775-7857, and we will be glad to help you!
Holiday Closings
Central Georgia EMC's office will be closed on the following days: Friday, January 1, 2021, and Monday, January 18, 2021.
Our remote self-service account options and the on-site payment kiosk will be available. In case of a power outage, please call our 24-hour automated system at 770-775-7857 or 1-800-222-4877 for an immediate response. System operators are on duty to assist you.
New Generator Program
Don't get left in the cold! Check out Gresco's Home Generator Program. Call 1-800-504-2534 for more information.
Reduce Your Carbon Footprint in 2021
Cooperative Solar gives you the opportunity to commit to a smaller carbon footprint without installing or maintaining any equipment.
Additionally, we've expanded our Cooperative Solar program to include solar fields across the state. This growth comes with an increase in capacity, enhanced performance reliability, and no waiting list!
Call 770-775-7857 or 1-800-222-4877 to learn more about adding solar energy to your monthly energy mix.
To end the year, the Central Georgia EMC Foundation awarded $32,310 in grants to charitable organizations in our territory.
- Brave Meadows Therapeutic Riding Center - $2,500 - To fund a therapeutic riding scholarship.
- Community Bible Fellowship Church (CEO Ministries) - $5,000 - To purchase items for the Community Christmas Program for children in need.
- Crosswalk Ministries USA, Inc. - $3,200 - To purchase art supplies for their ARTreach Program.
- GiGi's House, Inc. - $4,110 - To purchase furnishings for an apartment for two women that have aged out of the foster care system.
- Henderson School Alumni Association Trust, Inc. - $5,000 - To assist with the asbestos removal required for the community development center renovation project.
- Macon Volunteer Clinic - $2,000 - To purchase a refurbished colposcope for their clinic.
- Rachel's Gift - $5,000 - To provide staff training, counseling sessions, keepsake items, and follow up support for families that experienced the loss of an infant.
- Rising Star Food Pantry - $3,000 - To purchase food.
- Spectrum Abilities - $2,500 - To provide food boxes and holiday gifts for ten families with special needs children.
Qualifying 501(c)(3) organizations in our service territory are invited to submit an application to the Central Georgia EMC Foundation.
Through Operation Round Up, our members support local organizations with a mission to make our communities even better places to live, work, and dream big. By simply rounding up your monthly electric bill to the next dollar, you can join in! Our pennies add up to make BIG CHANGE!
Co-op Connections has a new look!
Atlas Chiropractic - Free consultation. 1046 Avalon Parkway, McDonough, 678-432-9995.
Bulldog Gym - No enrollment fee for all prepaid memberships. 533 Venture Court, Monticello, 706-418-5901.
FitCo Health Club - No key fee. No sign-up fee. 833 Patrol Road, Forsyth, 478-993-2202.
New You Med Spa - 10% off packages (LHR, IPL); 5% off weight loss products. 1657 N Expressway, Griffin ,770-229-8626.
Sweet Impressions Massage Therapy- $35 for 60-minute full-body massage. 4917 High Falls Road, Ste. 201, Jackson, 404-918-8313.
We’re excited to provide you with this exclusive, free membership that has countless benefits. You can access Co-op Connections directly from the CGEMC website at www.cgemc.com.
*Deals are subject to change.
Are you a local business who would like to be included in Co-op Connections? Click the link below. It is simple and free!
Energy tip
You can save as much as 10 percent per year on heating and cooling by simply turning your thermostat back 7-10 degrees. During the winter, set the thermostat to 68 degrees while you are awake and at home. Set it even lower while you are asleep or away. Check out the programmable thermostats available in the CGEMC Amazon store (affiliate link).
We love a great energy saving resource, and it's hard to beat Find 101 Easy Ways to Save Energy and Money. Download your free copy.
Recipe of the Month
Credits:
Created with images by nattanan23 - "money coin investment" • Science in HD - "Workers with solutions of all-inorganic perovskite quantum dots, showing intense photoluminescence when illuminated with UV light. CsPbBr3 emit in the green and CsPbI3 emit red. Graduate students developed the first solar cells from such quantum dots showing excellent performance. The research, Quantum dot-induced phase stabilization of OE±-CsPbI3 perovskite for high-efficiency photovoltaics, appears in the journal Science." • Tim Mossholder - "Shop local" • niekverlaan - "lamp idea pear"