Canoochee EMC’s Longstanding Commitment to Our Members
By Michael Wasson, Chief Executive Officer
CComparing service providers can be more complex than it initially appears, and electricity utilities offer a clear illustration of this. At Canoochee EMC, we gauge our success through two key metrics: our electricity rates and the quality of our service.
While rates are often a point of comparison, their calculation involves numerous factors that influence the cost per kilowatt-hour (kwh). Like everyone else, we are subject to the fluctuations of global markets and energy policy. Past short-sighted policies that mandated immediate changes have historically driven up energy generation costs. Although these regulations are now easing, we face new challenges with market instability affecting the crucial hardware needed to maintain your
power supply. The long lead times, often exceeding a year, for replacing essential equipment pose a significant hardship, particularly in the event of another severe storm like Hurricane Helene.
Canoochee EMC has a longstanding commitment to providing our members with exceptional service.
Our member surveys consistently highlight the value you place on our customer service and the reliability of electricity. While the methods for ensuring reliability differ from those for delivering excellent customer service, both are important to achieving our primary goal: your satisfaction. We strive for our members to feel a sense of pride in being served by Canoochee EMC.
Therefore, while direct rate comparisons with competitors may show that we offer more affordable electricity than most utilities in the state, the question remains: Are we providing a superior overall experience?
We firmly believe the answer is yes, and we are continuously working to make this a reality for our members.
Touchstone Energy Senior Citizen of the Month
Congratulations to Irene Gallo of Pembroke for being selected as the June 2025 Touchstone Energy Senior Citizen of the Month.
How to Prepare for Hurricane Season
WWe take hurricane preparedness seriously. After the devastation of Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Helene in 2024, we’ve honed our response plan year after year, ensuring the safety of our employees and the continued service to our members.
Preparation Is Key
• Don’t wait until the last minute. We track weather developments throughout hurricane season. If a storm poses a threat, we begin preparations well in advance.
• Stay informed. We closely monitor weather forecasts and official advisories. This allows us to gauge the potential threat and determine the necessary response level.
• Allocate resources. If a significant storm is on the horizon, we may strategically deploy additional personnel and equipment from other regions to bolster our local teams.
Your Hurricane Action Plan
Having a personal hurricane plan is crucial for your safety and wellbeing. Here are some key steps to consider:
• Develop a communication plan. Establish a clear communications plan for your family, including designated contact people and meeting locations.
• Prepare an emergency kit. Stockpile nonperishable food, bottled water, medications and other essentials to last for several days.
• Create an evacuation plan. Identify potential evacuation routes and a safe haven if necessary.
Safety During and After the Storm
• Heed evacuation orders. If local authorities issue evacuation orders, prioritize your safety and leave the area immediately.
• Stay indoors during the storm. Once a storm hits, take shelter in a safe
interior room, away from windows and doors.
• Wait for the “all clear” before venturing outdoors. Debris, downed power lines and damaged infrastructure can pose significant dangers after a storm.
Remember: After a storm passes, allowing crews clear access to affected areas is vital for a swift restoration of services. Patience is key during this recovery phase.
By following these steps and staying informed, we can all weather storms safely and effectively.
Operation Round Up: Small Change, Big Impact
ver the past month, the Canoochee EMC Foundation has awarded 13 checks totaling $54,000 to local businesses, schools, nonprofits and families in need. These grants—made possible by members who participate in Operation Round Up—show how a few cents on each bill can fuel major good across our communities.
How the Program Works
When you take part, your electric bill is automatically rounded up to the next whole dollar each month. A bill of $104.52, for example, becomes $105, and the extra 48 cents goes straight to the foundation. On average, each participating member gives about $6 a year. If all 15,000 Canoochee EMC members joined in, roughly $90,000 would be raised every year for community projects.
Where the Money Goes
A nine-member volunteer board reviews every request, ensuring that 100% of every rounded up penny is returned to southeast Georgia. Grants often fund emergency medical equipment, classroom technology, foodbank programs, accessibility aids and other local needs. Since
Operation Round Up began here in 2001, members have contributed more than $1 million—proof that small change truly changes lives.
Recent Impact: $54,000 in New Grants
Some of the organizations that received support in this latest funding round include North Tattnall Middle School’s Junior Beta Club, Kiwanis Club of Tattnall County, Bryan County Elementary School and Claxton High School’s Beta Club.
How to Join or Opt Out
All Canoochee EMC member owners are automatically enrolled in Operation Round Up. If you prefer not to participate—or wish to rejoin later—contact our office, and we’ll update your account. To learn more about Operation Round Up or the foundation’s grant process, visit www.canoochee emc.com/foundation or call (800) 342 0134. Together, we’re lighting the way for a stronger, more caring southeast Georgia—one rounded up bill at a time.
CA NOO CHEE ELECTRIC MEMBERSHIP CORPORATION
The Transformer
Official Publication of Canoochee EMC
P.O. Box 487
Reidsville, GA 30453
(800) 342-0134
Joseph A. Sikes, Editor
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Connie Thrift District 3
President
Bob Floyd District 4 Vice President
Kim Blocker District 9 Treasurer
LaNell M. Oliver District 6
Secretary
Ed Bradley Jr. District 5
Robert Dasher District 8
Kenneth L. Durrence District 7
Lavanda Lynn District 2
Bernard Purvis District 1
Michael Wasson, Chief Executive Officer
Andy Whiten, Chief Operations Officer
Mat Olson, Chief Financial Officer
Patrick Burkhalter, Chief Administration Officer
Kyle E. Durrence, Member Services Manager
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR POWER IS OFF . . .
1. Check your fuses or breakers.
2. Check with your neighbors.
3. Call (800) 342-0134 or (912) 557-4391.
There is a dispatcher on call 24 hours a day for your convenience.
OFFICE HOURS
Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closed Saturday, Sunday and holidays
Branch offices
Highway 196 West Hinesville, GA 31313
Highway 280 East Pembroke, GA 31321
Canoochee EMC Named
2025 Business of the Year
C
Canoochee EMC is honored to be recognized as the 2025 Business of the Year by the Greater Tattnall Chamber of Commerce. Employees Debra Harris, Jeanna Kennedy and Kara Sikes accepted the award on behalf of the cooperative. Their presence reflected the hard work and dedication of our entire team, whose efforts keep the lights on and strengthen the communities we serve every day.
We are grateful to the Greater Tattnall Chamber for this recognition, and to our members for their continued trust and support. Canoochee EMC remains committed to delivering safe, affordable power, while also investing in programs that improve quality of life across southeast Georgia.
Notice of Unclaimed Capital Credits
Canoochee EMC is a not-for-profit, which means when we make more money than we spend, that extra money belongs to the members. We call this extra money “capital credits.”
Canoochee EMC gives this money back to members in two ways:
• General Retirement: We send out payments to a group of members at once.
• Upon a Member’s Passing: Capital credits are paid out when a member dies.
Sometimes, when we do a general retirement, members don’t cash their checks, or we can’t find them. We hold onto this unclaimed money for five years. During
that time, we try hard to reconnect with these members.
If you were part of the general retirement in 2019 (for the years 19861989) and haven’t claimed your money, you have until Sept. 30, 2025, to do so. After that date, any unclaimed money from that 2019 retirement will be given to the Canoochee EMC Foundation, which will use the money for education or to help the local economy in ways that benefit Canoochee EMC members.
You can find a list of members we are trying to reach online at www. canoocheeemc.com. If you have any questions, please call (800)342-0134.
Canoochee EMC Annual Meeting of Members
Tuesday, Oct. 14
