Keeping the Energy Affordable and Available

February Message from Randall Pugh
President/CEO

As member-owned, not-for-profit companies, EMCs have always focused on supplying electricity to their members at the lowest possible cost. As a result, over the last 70 years EMCs have provided one of the best energy values in America.

Georgia's 42 electric cooperatives provide reliable and affordable electricity to more than four million members, serving almost three-fourths of the state. Each EMC shares deep-rooted cooperative principles that focus both our everyday operations and our long-term planning on the best interests of our members. And so we work for you every day, doing everything we can to make sure your electricity remains reliable and affordable.

Some electric cooperatives, like Jackson EMC, have contracts to buy power from the companies that generate it, and use that power to supplement their existing generation resources. The low costs you pay for electricity represent the favorable power contract rates Jackson EMC has negotiated on your behalf. Many of these contracts will expire in the next few years. While energy producers will likely continue to sell us electricity, with ever-increasing demand they could decide to charge more under a new contract – and that creates uncertainty for our electric rates. Based on our forecasts, we believe it is only good management to add more of our own power generation so that our member's future needs are not completely dependent on power contracts.

In order to ensure affordable power is available for our members, Jackson EMC is considering every potential source of energy, including coal, natural gas, wind and solar, as well as newer technologies such as methane, hydrogen and cellulose ethanol, among others. When it comes to affordable energy, we are leaving no stone unturned.

At Jackson EMC, we are committed to making wise choices about the energy we provide to ensure that our members have dependable electricity at a fair price. In addition, we will continue to provide you with valuable information about energy efficiency and cost savings so you can make wise choices too. We know you wouldn't expect anything less from your cooperative – and we wouldn't do anything less for you.

Randall Pugh
President/CEO.