Green Power EMC

 Sixteen Georgia electric cooperatives, including Ocmulgee EMC have  formed Green Power EMC to offer the state's first green power project  using biomass energy from North and Central Georgia landfills. The  otherwise wasted methane contained in landfill gas is valuable for electricity production; power produced from waste methane can offset electricity needs produced by traditional means, including coal.

-  Second Green Power EMC Site Now Adding Power To State Grid -  Green Power EMC Offers Georgia’s First Green Energy

Consumers will have the opportunity to purchase 150-kilowatt blocks of green power at $4.00 per 150-kilowatt block from Ocmulgee EMC. If you are an Ocmulgee EMC customer and are interested in purchasing Green Power fill out subscription form and a Member Services Representative will call you, or, call 478-374-7001 or 1-800-342-5509.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is "green power?"

A: Green power is electric energy produced by renewable, more environmentally friendly sources, leading to negative air, water and natural resource impacts. Typical technologies used to create green power are solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, and low-impact hydropower.

Q: What is Green Power EMC?

A: Green Power EMC is a group of member-owned electric cooperatives in Georgia who have joined together, creating a non-profit corporation, to facilitate procurement and marketing of electricity from cleaner, greener Georgia sources. The most-environmentally friendly power ever created in Georgia will be added to the member-cooperatives power mix, and offered to members on a subscriber basis as a power option that will enable them to contribute to a cleaner environment. The members of Green Power EMC are Carroll EMC, Coastal EMC, Cobb EMC, Coweta-Fayette EMC, Flint Energies, Greystone Power, Habersham EMC, Irwin EMC, Jefferson EMC, Jackson EMC, Lamar EMC, Sawnee EMC, Snapping Shoals EMC, Tri-County EMC, Walton EMC, and Ocmulgee EMC, all electric membership cooperatives in Georgia, owned by the members they serve.

Q: What technology source will provide the largest source of green power for users?

A: In the start-up stage of Green Power EMC, existing methane gas from landfills will provide the largest source of cleaner energy. Over 300 landfills in Georgia have been researched, with 10 being classified as excellent candidates-the first and lowest cost to develop.

Q: What are the components of a landfill gas system?

A: A landfill gas to electricity system has three basic components: a gas collection system, which gathers the gas being produced within the landfill, a gas processing and conversion system, which cleans the gas and converts it into electricity, and interconnection components.

Q: Where and when will I learn more about Green Power EMC?

A: Watch for information about Green Power EMC in the Ocmulgee EMC newsletter and other communications, as well as the local newspapers. We will alert members as to when the program will begin.

Q: How many EMC member-owners will be affected by this new service?

A: The start-up group of 16 EMCs serves over 900,000 member-owners-more than 2 million Georgians. In total, Georgia's 42 electric cooperatives serve approximately 3.7 million members, nearly half the state's population. The members of these 16 EMC's will be the first consumers in Georgia offered environmentally friendly electric power from their electric utility. Green Power EMC will be the largest operational green power program in the Southeastern United States.

Q: What exactly are the environmental benefits of this "green power"?

A: EMC green power projects would have the same environmental benefits as any one of the following: taking 144,000 cars off the road, planting 156,000 acres of forest, annually displacing the use of 312,000 tons of coal; or avoiding the use of 1,211,500 barrels of oil each year.

Q: What will be the cost of this environmentally friendly energy?

A: The cost for green power will be slightly higher than that created from usual sources due to the cost of the technologies involved. The extra cost is a small price to pay for the environmental benefits for generations to come. Only those members who subscribe will pay the additional cost. Ocmulgee EMC will be selling green power in blocks of 150-kilowatt hours. The cost will be $4.00 per 150-kilowatt hour block purchased.

Q: I understand this is the first such program in the state of Georgia. Do other electric utilities outside of Georgia offer this program?

A: More than 80 utilities offer similar programs throughout the U.S. including electric membership cooperatives in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Mississippi, Tennessee and the West. Environmental groups who are working together to help the nation move toward cleaner air and water initiatives support in President Bush's National Energy Plan and Congressional draft legislation, as well as green power programs. The electric membership community is excited to be able to present this new initiative to its members, many of whom have requested such a program.

Q: How will I know that this "green power" is actually being run into my home?

A: The renewable energy that you will be purchasing is not directly routed to your home, but by subscribing you are helping to support the purchase of additional clean energy and encouraging more investment nationwide in environmentally friendly ways to generate power. For every environmentally friendly kilowatt-hour purchased by cooperative members, one less kilowatt-hour is being purchased from other less environmentally friendly sources such as coal-based energy.