Rayle EMC

Throughout the holiday weekend we had outages from storms in the area that affected hundreds of our consumers. Also, late Sunday night into early Monday morning, thousands of our consumers experienced flickering lights. The problem was at the transmission level and it affected at least seven of our substations in Wilkes, Lincoln and Taliaferro counties. The City of Washington, Georgia Power and Hart EMC were also affected. We have been in contact with our transmission system operators and they are currently performing a full investigation to find the root cause. As always, we truly appreciate our consumers for being patient and understanding when things are not ideal.

If you can not get through to the Washington District at 706-678-2116. You may also call Rayle EMC's toll-free number at 1-844-744-7849.

This week, Rayle EMC’s apprentice linemen Luke Lamb, Ryan Shuman, and Charles Esparza, alongside apprentice linemen from Hart EMC and Jefferson Energy, completed their first of four training labs. This lab focuses largely on safety and good work practices, equipment inspection, climbing confidence, and positioning to work while on their hooks. They were able to get in lots of practice and gain confidence in their trade, as well as fellowship with one another and gain insight from more experienced linemen. A job well-done by this group of guys!

Pictured are Luke Lamb, Ryan Shuman, Charles Esparza, Myles Baskins, Nolan Strickland, Christian Lovett, Anquayvious Green, Lewis McBride, and Logan Bailey.

On April 13, electric membership corporations (EMCs) across the state celebrate Lineworker Appreciation Day, a special recognition dedicated to honoring the hard work, bravery and unwavering commitment of electric lineworkers, including those at Rayle EMC.

EMCs statewide appreciate your support in celebrating and honoring the dedication, bravery and hard work of Georgia’s electric lineworkers, the unsung heroes who keep the lights on and communities connected.

We are currently experiencing problems with our phones in the Lexington District. They will be down tomorrow, February 19, for repair beginning at 8:30 am for several hours.
If you can not get through to our Lexington District, please call the Washington District at 706-678-2116 or the Greensboro District at 706-453-2268. You may also call Rayle EMC's toll-free number at 1-844-744-7849.

WE ARE HIRING!
Engineer and Staking Technician
Please apply by written application at the Washington, Lexington or Greensboro office or email resume to [email protected].
A fillable job application can be found at https://www.rayleemc.com/about-us/careers

Rayle EMC would like to thank these Washington-Wilkes FFA A girls for bringing snacks to our lineman today. Pictured are Kennedy Norman, Rayle EMC Safety Coordinator John Moon, Savannah McCurley, and Dahlia Moss

Rayle EMC was largely spared from the brunt of this winter storm, but many were not so fortunate. Please continue to pray for those linemen and personnel who are working tirelessly to restore power in the areas hit hardest.

We appreciate all of our consumers and the community members who offered their support, services, thoughts and prayers to Rayle EMC linemen, personnel, and the additional mutual aid crews.

Georgia’s Electric Membership Corporations (EMCs) are reporting approximately 22,000 outages following Winter Storm Fern, with most outages concentrated in the northeast region of Georgia. EMCs advise that outages may increase with continued precipitation.

Damage assessment and restoration efforts are underway. Thanks to mutual aid agreements, EMC crews from Florida and southern Georgia were pre-positioned in impacted areas to assist in power restoration. In addition, EMCs that were initially in the storm's path but remained unaffected are now mobilizing crews to assist the harder-hit areas.

During restoration, electric co-ops will follow standard utility practice in repairing and energizing lines by repairing feeder and primary lines first, then addressing secondary and service lines next. This method restores power to the greatest number of people in the shortest amount of time.

EMCs want to remind the public that safety is a priority for their employees and members alike. Individuals should stay away from downed power lines, keep a safe distance from crews as they work to restore power and follow manufacturer guidelines for generator safety. Proper generator use will prevent the backfeeding of powerlines, protecting electric utility employees from serious or fatal injuries.

Customers should report power outages by contacting their local EMC.

Statewide EMC Outage Updates:
A map showing current EMC outages by region, updated every 15 minutes, can be found at http://www.georgiaemc.com/outages. To report power outages and gain more detailed outage and restoration updates, EMC members should contact their local EMC provider.