Georgia EMCs Continue Power Restoration

/PRNewswire/ -- As of 4:00 p.m., Georgia's EMCs are reporting approximately 1900 customers without power. Those affected are in north and middle Georgia.

Most of the outages have been caused by ice accumulation on trees and power lines. The outage numbers have fluctuated throughout the day when some outages have been restored as new outages have been reported.

Crews are working non-stop to restore power. Customers are reminded to stay away from fallen power lines, report outages to their local EMC, and call for safety instructions when clearing tree limbs and other vegetation near power lines and electric facilities.

Georgia EMC is the statewide trade association representing the state's 42 EMCs, Oglethorpe Power Corp., Georgia Transmission Corp. and Georgia System Operations Corp. Collectively, Georgia's customer-owned EMCs provide electricity and related services to more than four million people, half of Georgia's population, across 73 percent of the state's land area.

Georgia Transmission, a not-for-profit cooperative owned by 39 EMCs, owns more than 3000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines and more than 600 substations. These facilities deliver power to Georgia's EMCs who serve nearly 50 percent of Georgia's population (4.5 million).

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Georgia EMCs Report Power Outages

/PRNewswire/ -- As of 5:30 a.m., Monday, Jan. 10, the electric membership cooperatives (EMCs) are reporting approximately 600 customers without power in Gordon, Whitfield, Walker and Chattooga Counties. Outages have been caused by heavy snowfall which is weighing down tree limbs causing them to fall on power lines.

The EMCs began preparing for the storm Friday and mobilized employees and contract crews, prepared trucks with emergency equipment and procured necessary materials.

They have stocked supplies of poles, wire, connectors, transformers and other materials frequently used in the restoration process. They have also contacted unaffected EMCs to arrange for additional restoration assistance.

Georgia EMC is the statewide trade association representing the state's 42 EMCs, Oglethorpe Power Corp., Georgia Transmission Corp. and Georgia System Operations Corp. Collectively, Georgia's customer-owned EMCs provide electricity and related services to more than four million people, half of Georgia's population, across 73 percent of the state's land area.

Georgia Transmission, a not-for-profit cooperative owned by 39 EMCs, owns more than 3000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines and more than 600 substations. These facilities deliver power to Georgia's EMCs who serve nearly 50 percent of Georgia's population (4.5 million).

Latest EMC Outage Updates:

http://www.georgiaemc.com/stormcentral/storm.aspx

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Georgia Power Urges Customers to Prepare for Winter Storms

/PRNewswire/ -- Georgia Power has crews on standby statewide, as well as mutual-assistance crews from around the country en-route, to mobilize and restore power outages caused by the anticipated winter storm.

The company urges its customers to have their emergency plans in place as there may be lengthy delays in power restoration if severe weather coats ice on roads, tree limbs and power lines.

To learn more about how ice and snow can interrupt power, visit our website to watch an interactive video. Major outage information will be available on Twitter, @georgiapower.

Here are some safety tips for customers to follow when severe weather hits:

* Anyone with a life-threatening medical emergency should dial 9-1-1.

* Always avoid downed power lines. Any downed line should be considered energized and therefore dangerous. Report downed lines immediately to local public safety authorities and stay out of the immediate area.

* Avoid debris on the ground that may conceal downed power lines and make sure there are no downed lines before allowing children out to play. Do not attempt to make repairs to Georgia Power's electrical system or pull limbs off lines.

* Watch out for falling trees, tree limbs and power lines.

* Steer clear of Georgia Power crew work areas. Equipment and energized lines may be in the area that could create a safety hazard.

* When driving, watch for crews working along the roadways, and obey all traffic signs and directions around work areas.

* When leaving your home and power is off, turn off the main breaker as a precaution to avoid a power surge once the power is restored.

* Be patient. When major outages occur, Georgia Power crews must first restore power to transmission lines and distribution circuits before working on distribution lines that feed directly to homes and businesses. However, be assured that Georgia Power crews are working as quickly and safely as possible to restore power to customers.

* Customers are reminded to be careful when using portable heaters or other supplemental heating. Never place heaters near flammable materials or where they might tip over. Use fire screens to prevent sparks and embers from causing problems.

* Customers should exercise extreme caution if using candles during a power outage. Always keep candles away from flammable objects and never leave them burning unattended. Make sure flashlights have fresh batteries.

If the weather interrupts electrical service, customers are urged to report outages by visiting our website, www.georgiapower.com or by calling the Customer Care Center at 1-888-891-0938. This line is answered by an automated system designed to handle power outage calls quicker than speaking to a person; however, customers may also talk directly with a customer service representative.

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Plant Washington to Offer Reliable and Affordable Electricity to Citizens of Georgia

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Power4Georgians, a consortium of 10 Georgia EMCs that have partnered to develop a comprehensive strategy to meet demand for affordable and reliable energy in Georgia, today emphasized its position that coal is an essential cornerstone to fulfilling that strategy.

“While we are proponents of viable alternative energy projects such as wind, solar, biomass, etc., none of those options can come close to fulfilling large scale needs in the near future,” said Dean Alford, spokesman for Power4Georgians.

Some opponents of coal have spread misinformation indicating that to build and operate Plant Washington in a safe and environmentally responsible manner is not economically viable. There are many flaws in their argument; specifically they claim that the prices for materials used in construction are escalating rapidly, which is not true. Steel for instance has declined from its July price of $1,000 per ton to about $500 per ton today. Perhaps most significant are opponent claims that the cost of coal continues to rise when the reality is, coal has declined approximately 40% since July.

“It is ludicrous to believe that we would move forward with Plant Washington if we weren’t certain that it was economically viable,” said Dean Alford, spokesman for Power4Georgians. “I can assure you, nobody is more cognizant of cost than the co-ops involved in this project.”

To be built and operated near Sandersville in Washington County, Georgia, the plant will provide an enormous economic boost for the region and indeed the entire state. Capital investment is expected to be approximately $2.1 billion. For comparison sake, the much publicized Kia manufacturing plant in west-central Georgia represents an investment of $1.2 billion.

Plant Washington will create more than 1,400 jobs during the construction phase of the project and approximately 130 full time jobs when the plant is placed into operation. In addition, 300 support jobs in ancillary businesses will be created in the region when the plant opens.

“This is a perfect example of a project that will provide great benefit to the people of Georgia at a time when it is needed most,” Alford said.

With Georgia’s rapidly growing population - and even with Plant Washington contributing 850 Megawatts to the state’s power grid - consumption of electricity will outstrip supply within the next decade unless new generation facilities are built and placed into operation.

“Power4Georgians believes in an ‘all in’ strategy which means we fully support solar, wind, biomass, nuclear and coal generation facilities. Georgia needs every bit of electricity that can be generated if we are to assure that when the switch is flipped, the lights come on now and for years to come,” Alford concluded.

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The Brattle Group Projects $1.5 to $2.0 Trillion Investment Needed in the U.S. Electric Utility Industry by 2030

PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. utility industry will have to invest between $1.5 and $2.0 trillion between 2010 and 2030 to maintain current levels of reliable energy service for customers throughout the country, according to a new report issued today by The Brattle Group. The findings are detailed in "Transforming America's Power Industry: The Investment Challenge 2010-2030," presented today by Peter Fox-Penner, a principal of The Brattle Group, at the Edison Electric Institute's 43rd Financial Conference. The report was sponsored by the Edison Foundation.

"This study highlights the investment challenges confronting the power industry in the coming decades," said Dr. Fox-Penner. "The industry is facing enormous investment needs during a period of modest growth, high costs, and very substantial policy shifts," he explained.

All types of new generation capacity will be needed, including natural gas, coal, nuclear, and renewables. Nearly 40 gigawatts of new renewable capacity will be needed just to meet state requirements. Significantly, capital spending to upgrade distribution and transmission facilities nationwide may surpass investment in new generation, the study found. Spending on "smart grid" technologies to ramp up efficiency -- along with new power lines to integrate renewable electricity sources -- will account for much of that spending.

"The good news is that as a result of this very significant investment, our economy and utility customers will get more efficiency and control over their electricity use, lower-carbon generation, and a higher-technology, more resilient and reliable electric grid," Dr. Fox-Penner said.

The report, which follows highly publicized preliminary results introduced in April 2008 at an Edison Foundation conference, analyzes four possible scenarios that measure the impact of energy efficiency and demand response program implementation on investment needs and new plant construction. In the base case scenario, which does not account for new climate policies, the total investment needs are projected to reach $1.5 trillion. Implementation of a federal carbon policy would significantly increase the capital cost and change the mix of new generation capacity; for instance, a simplified model of one scenario with carbon controls would require an increase in total capital spending to $2 trillion.

Another key finding in the study is a large potential reduction in the need for new generation capacity, due to the faster than previously estimated implementation of energy efficiency and demand response programs. In the preliminary results, energy efficiency was estimated to potentially reduce new capacity by 17%. In the final results, the potential reduction in new capacity is projected to be approximately 38%. However, reductions in new required capacity will not correlate to an equal reduction in total investment due to the offsetting costs of implementing the efficiency programs.

"It is important to emphasize that while energy efficiency and demand response programs can significantly reduce the need for new generation capacity, they cannot eliminate the need for new power plants," Dr. Fox-Penner observed.

Marc Chupka and Robert Earle, principals of The Brattle Group, directed the study which is available at www.brattle.com and www.edisonfoundation.net.

The Brattle Group provides consulting services and expert testimony in economics and finance to corporations, law firms, and public agencies worldwide. Areas of expertise include antitrust and competition; electric power, natural gas, and petroleum; valuation and damages; and regulation and planning in network industries. For more information, visit www.brattle.com.

The Washington-based Edison Foundation is dedicated to bringing the benefits of electricity to families, businesses, and industries worldwide.

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