Georgia Magazine - August 2023 - 15

SHORTTakes
EMCs power student robotics
events with renewable energy
G
eorgia's electric cooperatives provided renewable energy to help power several
FIRST Robotics Competition events, including the 2023 Peachtree District
Championship, which was held in Emerson April 6-8.
GeorgiaFIRST Robotics provides educational robotics programs for high school
students and each year hosts a series of competitions for students to compete with
industrial-grade, semi-autonomous robots that their teams designed and built. The
programs test the students' innovation, preparedness and perseverance.
Tucker-based Green Power Electric Membership Corp. (EMC), the renewableenergy
supplier for 38 Georgia EMCs, is a " Friend of the Future " sponsor of the
Peachtree District Championship. Cobb EMC in Marietta, a member-owner of
Green Power EMC and electric cooperative serving Bartow and other area counties,
provided renewable energy to GeorgiaFIRST to help power the district championship
and charge the student-built robots with clean, sustainable electricity that was
generated at the 20-megawatt Arlington solar facility in Early County in South Georgia.
The 2023 FIRST Robotics Competition World Championships was held
April 18-22 in Houston, Texas. As leaders in solar-energy deployment among all
U.S. electric cooperatives, Georgia's EMCs have nearly 1,300 megawatts of operational
solar energy, with another 800 megawatts under construction.
Flint Energies, an electric cooperative headquartered in Reynolds and memberowner
of Green Power EMC, helped to power the Macon qualifier event on April 1 with
energy generated at Houston Solar, a 68-megawatt solar facility in Houston County.
At the Gwinnett County qualifier event in March, renewable energy to power the
robotics competition was provided by Jefferson-based Jackson EMC, which serves
parts of Gwinnett and other area counties and is a member-owner of Green Power
EMC. The energy was generated by the 52-megawatt South Loving solar facility in
Jeff Davis County.
" Georgia's EMCs are committed to serving their consumers with a diverse
portfolio of reliable, cost-effective and environmentally responsible energy, and solar
power has become an increasingly important part of their strategy, " Green Power EMC
President Jeff Pratt said. " Together, we are proud to support GeorgiaFIRST in such a
meaningful way. Georgia's EMCs are providing renewable energy generated right
here in our state to help power educational opportunities for the next generation of
Georgia leaders. "
Leadership change: George
McLendon has been appointed
the new general manager of
Altamaha Electric Membership
Corp. (EMC) in Lyons.
McLendon succeeds
Romanous Dotson, who is
retiring after 49 years of
service, including 13 as the
general manager. McLendon,
who most recently had served as assistant
manager, started his career at Altamaha EMC as
an apprentice lineman in 1987.
Top-notch service: Jackson EMC in Jefferson has
become the first certified EMC contact center in
the United States. The International Customer
Management Institute (ICMI) awards Contact
Center Site Certification to a contact center that
" has proven that it operates efficiently, adds value
to its business and boasts a world-class customer
experience, " according to the ICMI website.
Jackson EMC's customer-service team underwent
rigorous training in customer focus, leadership,
process management and other best practices.
Athletes' biggest fans: The Central Georgia EMC
Foundation in Jackson awarded a $2,500 grant
to the Henry County Special Olympics. The
funds came from the cooperative's Operation
Round Up program, in which members opt to
round their monthly bills to the nearest dollar
and the difference goes into a fund to support
charitable causes in the community.
GeorgiaFIRST Robotics events challenge high school students to design, build and showcase
their robots. EMCs provided renewable energy for qualifi er events in Georgia.
Feathered friends: Crews from Hart EMC in
Hartwell spent some time on March 2 assisting
with the repair of two osprey nesting platforms.
The platforms provide the birds a place to nest
instead of atop utility poles, where the twigs and
sticks used in the nests can get into the power
lines, causing outages and potentially harming
the birds.
www.georgiamagazine.org
15
GEORGIAFIRST ROBOTICS
COURTESY CENTRAL GEORGIA EMC
COURTESY ALTAMAHA EMC
http://www.georgiamagazine.org
Georgia Magazine - August 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - August 2023
