Cobb In Focus May/June 2021

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In Your Community

It’s Getting Easier To Be Green

Cobb EMC reaffirms clean energy goals By Cory Sekine-Pettite

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head of Earth Day in April, Cobb EMC reaffirmed its commitment to its clean energy goals, and it reminded members that by 2030 the electric cooperative would reduce carbon emissions by 75 percent and double up on its renewable energy portfolio with a 200-percent increase. “With Earth Day approaching, it is the perfect time to express to our members and community that we are passionate about a greener future while keeping our electric rates low and reliability high,” said Interim President and CEO of Cobb EMC, Kevan Espy, in a released state-

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ment. “Furthermore, we are confident that we can achieve our renewable energy goals without passing any additional costs on to our valuable members.” Intrigued to find out more, Cobb In Focus followed up with the member-owned utility to see how far along it is in achieving its goals, what the future looks like for clean energy in Georgia, and more. So far, Cobb EMC is well on its way to producing cleaner energy, having already installed rooftop solar panels on campus, and completing a Solar Flower Garden and battery storage facility. Additionally,

later this year its utility-scale solar project will be completed. Further, in 2022, Cobb EMC will be among the few cooperatives in the nation that will incorporate microgrid technology. The system will allow the co-op to operate autonomously if the need arises by furnishing a continuous supply of power to the cooperative during any extended outages, which strengthens power grid resilience for faster response and recovery. “The microgrid is an evolving technology that will complement our existing solar and battery system to help create this autonomy,” said Manish Murudkar, director of DER


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