After Years of Turmoil, Cobb EMC Holds First Election Since 2007

By Jonathan Shapiro

Atlanta, GA – After years of court battles, Cobb county residents will be allowed to vote tomorrow on new leadership for their local electric provider. It's their first election since 2007.

With more than 2 million customers, Georgia Power is the largest single electricity provider in the state.

But for the rest of Georgia - some 4.5 million residents - they get their power from one of 42 local electric membership corporations, or EMCs.

Tomorrow is a big day for one of them.

Cobb EMC is one of the largest in the country, serving more than 170,000 customers.

Typically those customers' elect board members every year, but Cobb EMC hasn't had an election since 2007. That's when customers filed a lawsuit accusing the board of illegally profiting from outside business ventures using Cobb EMC funds.

Since then, there have been constant court battles. Earlier this year, then-Cobb EMC chief executive Dwight Brown was indicted on multiple counts, including theft, racketeering, and witness intimidation.

Joel Mendelson is with Take Back Cobb EMC, a reform group established in the wake of the scandal. He says most customers see the election as long overdue.

"It's been years since members have been able to go to regular board meetings or see quarterly reports. I think everyone is ready to move on and move forward," said Mendelson

Recently new-CEO Chip Nelson has taken steps to repair the relationship between members and the EMC.

Despite those efforts, Mendleson says Cobb EMC customers haven't forgotten the years of mismanagement by the board. He says it will certainly be a big factor in electing the new board members.

"Members are looking for new board members that are going to stand up for transparency and honesty at the EMC - that are going to look into something like a forensic audit to help shine a light on what's been going on there over the last several years," said Mendelson.

Out of ten seats on the board, four are up for election this weekend. The other seats will be voted on in February and May.