It's Not Easy Being Green, But It's Worth It

April Message from Randall Pugh
President/CEO

Whether you're starting a compost pile in your backyard or recycling all paper products your family uses, being an environmental steward takes hard work.

It's easy to toss those water bottles in the trash; however, taking the time to get a separate place for recyclable items serves as a reminder to recycle and makes it easier to form habits. At Jackson EMC, we believe in energy efficiency and conservation. Every little bit we do makes a greater impact on our environment. That's why we're proud members of Green Power EMC, the renewable energy cooperative formed by 31 Georgia EMCs. Green Power is electric energy produced by renewable, more environmentally friendly sources.

In addition to our Green Power partnership, your cooperative also believes in using our resources responsibly. Our commercial/industrial marketing engineer is participating in a Cooperative Research Network project examining hybrid plug-in car technology and their impact on the electric system. Once we learn more about this technology, electric utilities can make informed decisions about issues such as going hybrid with their vehicle fleets.

Energy Efficiency

If you're considering ways to use energy wisely but you're not quite sure where to start, visit our online analyzer and analyze your home's energy use. You'll receive a personalized report on your home's energy use and areas where you can save money.

Sometimes changes can be as small as lighting. Switching from regular incandescent bulbs to compact fluorescent lighting could save you up to four times the energy used. Compact fluorescent bulbs also last up to 10 times longer than regular incandescent bulbs.

Whether it's a minor change like lighting or lifestyle change recommendations, you'll be on your way to a greener lifestyle when you visit our Smart Energy Use pages .

Saving Daylight, Saving Energy

By now, you're settling into the earlier start to daylight saving time. While you see this as an opportunity for a little more outdoor time in the evenings, it's also an opportunity to save energy. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 introduced the daylight saving time change to study the effect of the daylight saving extension on energy use. It's expected to reduce the amount of electricity used inside because people will be involved in outdoor activities longer and it also allows longer use of natural lighting. Congress has the option to return to the old schedule if there aren't significant energy savings.

Green Today, Green Tomorrow

We each have a responsibility to ourselves, our neighbors and the generations to come. Whether we're saving electricity, conserving energy or recycling, we have an impact on the earth. At Jackson EMC, we're proud environmental stewards dedicated to energy efficiency and conservation. The more we do today, the better shape we leave our earth in for future generations.

Randall Pugh
President/CEO

Questions?

Anytime you have questions, send them to P.O. Box 38, Jefferson, Ga. 30549, call (706) 367-5281 or e-mail rpugh@jacksonemc.com.