(TUCKER, Ga., April 15)—The EMCs of Georgia were honored by the Atlanta Business Chronicle recently for environmental stewardship via Green Power EMC’s Sun Power for Schools Program.

Green Power EMC was one of three finalists in the Green Reach Award category in the 2009 Atlanta Environmental Awards presented by the Atlanta Business Chronicle. The competition is designed to honor companies and individuals that conserve natural resources, curb pollution, develop new products, support environmental projects and initiatives, and spread the word through marketing and education.

In the second annual competition, Green Power EMC was among a Who’s Who of leading companies and individuals who took home honors including Ted Turner (who received a Lifetime Achievement Award), Emory University, UPS Foundation, Atlanta Botanical Garden, Fernbank Museum of Natural History, Delta Air Lines, Clean Air Campaign, World Wildlife Fund, and EarthShare of Georgia, to name a few.

"We’re honored our renewable initiatives, particularly the academic and education programs offered through Sun Power for Schools, are viewed in the same category as these revered institutions," said Michael Whiteside, president/CEO of Green Power EMC.

Overall, 129 entries were submitted in six categories --Green Save, Green Giving, Ennovation, Envention, Enpact and Green Reach.

In addition to Green Power EMC, notable finalists in the Green Reach Award category included the Green Food Service Alliance which launched a sustainable best practices program in the food service industry and the Gwinnett County School System which implemented a green program that includes shredding and recycling. The Green Reach Award was presented to the Fernbank Museum of Natural History for a program that teaches students, educators and volunteers about the environment.

About Green Power EMC

Green Power EMC is a not-for-profit cooperative founded in August 2001 to support EMCs in their search for Georgia renewable resources. The primary efforts of Green Power EMC have been to find, screen, analyze and negotiate power purchase agreements with Georgia-based renewable resource providers. Green Power EMC was the first green power program in the state with green power resources online and operational in October 2003.

Participating EMCs include Altamaha EMC, Amicalola EMC, Canoochee EMC, Carroll EMC, Central Georgia EMC, Coastal Electric Cooperative, Cobb EMC, Colquitt EMC, Coweta-Fayette EMC, Diverse Power, Excelsior EMC, Flint Energies, Grady EMC, GreyStone Power, Habersham EMC, Hart EMC, Irwin EMC, Jackson EMC, Jefferson Energy Cooperative, Little Ocmulgee EMC, Middle Georgia EMC, Mitchell EMC, Ocmulgee EMC, Oconee EMC, Okefenoke Rural Electric, Pataula EMC, Planters EMC, Rayle EMC, Sawnee EMC, Slash Pine EMC, Snapping Shoals EMC, Southern Rivers Energy, Sumter EMC, Three Notch EMC, Tri-County EMC, Upson EMC, Walton EMC, and Washington EMC.

For more information, visit www.greenpoweremc.com.

Collectively, the 42 customer-owned EMCs provide electricity and related services to four million people, nearly half of Georgia's population, across 73 percent of the state's land area. Georgia's 42 electric membership cooperatives now serve more customers than any other state network of EMCs in the nation.

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