Georgia lawmakers recently honored electric linemen for their dedication, talent and a firm commitment to get the job done, often under extreme conditions and unusual circumstances.
Rep. Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates) and Senator David Shafer (R-Duluth) presented House Resolution 1964 and Senate Resolution 1500 commending Georgia’s electric utility linemen for the work they do to get the lights back on for millions of Georgians.
Rep. Drenner and Senator Shafer presented the resolutions in Tucker during Georgia Electric Membership Corporation’s board meeting. Linemen Tony Brown, Tim Costner, Josh Jones and Patrick LeCroy, overall winners in the 2009 and 2010 Georgia Lineman’s Rodeo, accepted the resolution on behalf of all line workers across the state.
“Linemen of Georgia are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” says Paul Wood, president/CEO, Georgia EMC. “These workers make sacrifices to be available in any emergency situation; they are required to be away from their families, sometimes for days and weeks, in order to restore electric service for Georgia and other parts of the country when storm support is needed.”
The idea of the resolutions was brought about during the 2010 Georgia legislative session when lawmakers expressed appreciation for the work that linemen do every day and wanted a way to commend them for their efforts.
H.R. 1964 and S.R. 1500 recognize the work of all utility linemen in Georgia, their efforts that go above and beyond daily, as well as the success of Georgia’s linemen in the International Lineman’s Rodeo, an annual competition in which line workers showcase the skills and expertise needed to restore electricity and maintain electrical systems.
The resolutions noted that electric membership cooperative (EMC) line workers in Georgia are among the most talented in the country; they are eight-time winners of the International Lineman’s Rodeo (1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2005, and 2008) surpassing performances of hundreds of teams from around the globe.
GreyStone Power serves more than 102,000 members in portions of eight counties, including Paulding, Douglas, Fulton, Cobb, Carroll, Bartow, Fayette and Coweta counties. Learn more at www.greystonepower.com.
Georgia EMC is the statewide trade association representing the state’s 42 EMCs, Oglethorpe Power Corp., Georgia Transmission Corp. and Georgia Systems Operations Corp. Through this statewide network, the 42 customer-owned EMCs provide electricity and related services to more than four million people, nearly half of Georgia’s population, across 73 percent of the state’s land area. |