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The History of GTC and EMCs 
Georgia's electric cooperatives began in 1936 as part of the New Deal's promise to bring electricity to rural areas. Although electricity in New York and other cities began in the 1880s, most rural areas in Georgia and other states were in the dark until the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) came about.
The REA gave low-interest loans and helped families pool their resources to obtain electricity. All of Georgia's 42 customer-owned electric membership cooperatives (EMCs) were established between 1936 and 1946, according to Georgia Electric Membership Corporation (GEMC), the cooperatives' association. Today, these not-for-profits provide 35 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity to more than 4.2 million people at 1.6 million homes and businesses. EMCs serve nearly half the state's population across 73 percent of the state's territory.
For many years, EMCs independently purchased power at wholesale rates from various power suppliers. This practice changed after the energy crisis in the 1970s, which saw severe fuel shortages and high prices. To obtain power at reasonable rates, 39 EMCs established in 1974 a separate not-for-profit cooperative called Oglethorpe Power Corporation to generate and transmit their own power. In response to deregulation and other industry trends, Oglethorpe was divided in 1997 into three not-for-profit organizations. Oglethorpe Power retained power generation. Georgia Transmission Corporation was established to manage electric transmission. Georgia System Operations Corporation became an operations services company, providing sales, marketing, utility asset monitoring and control, contracting, transaction, billing and other services.
Georgia's local membership cooperatives serve leadership roles in their communities. In addition to active roles in economic development and other civic affairs, some cooperatives have responded to customers' requests by providing Internet service, satellite television, geothermal heat pumps, security, natural gas, telephone service and other offerings.
Georgia Transmission Corporation Formed
In 1997 Oglethorpe Power Corporation's board of directors approved a plan to divide the corporation into three companies to provide greater flexibility in the increasingly competitive environment. Georgia Transmission Corporation (GTC) was formed under this restructuring plan to provide reliable and competitively priced electric transmission services. GTC, a not-for-profit cooperative, is owned by 39 EMCs
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