Left to Right: Senator Steve Gooch (center) accepts the inaugural Georgia EMC Electric Cooperative Champion Award from Todd Payne (left), president of Amicalola EMC and the Georgia Rural Electric Managers’ Association, and Gary Miller (right), president of GreyStone Power Corp. and chairman of Georgia EMC’s Government Relations Committee.

Georgia State Senator Steve Gooch has been recognized as the first-ever recipient of the Georgia EMC Electric Cooperative Champion Award, presented during the Georgia Rural Electric Managers’ Association (GREMA) conference on July 14. The award honors a policymaker who has gone above and beyond in their efforts to promote safety, reliability and affordability of electricity for the 5 million members served by Georgia’s Electric Membership Corporations (EMCs).

Sen. Gooch was elected in 2010 to represent State Senate District 51, which includes Dawson, Fannin, Gilmer, Lumpkin, Pickens and Union counties, as well as a portion of White County. Until resigning the position in May to run for Lieutenant Governor, Sen. Gooch served as the Senate Majority Leader for the Republican caucus since 2022.

“We are thrilled to present Senator Steve Gooch with this distinguished award,” said Gary Miller, president/CEO of GreyStone Power Corp. and chairman of Georgia EMC’s Government Relations Committee. “His leadership and advocacy have helped secure a brighter, more connected future for millions of Georgians.”

Throughout his tenure in the Georgia General Assembly and as a longtime member of the Senate Regulated Industries Committee, Sen. Gooch has been a strong voice for policies that safeguard Georgia’s electric market structure and has pushed back against proposals that would undermine it.

These efforts ensure the state’s energy policies continue to foster economic growth and EMCs’ continued ability to provide safe, reliable and affordable power to their members.

More than a decade ago, Sen. Gooch recognized the urgent need to close the broadband connectivity gap in rural Georgia and spearheaded a comprehensive effort to craft state policy to address the issue.

In 2019, he led the passage of Senate Bill 2 (SB 2), which granted EMCs the authority to provide broadband services. Today, as a result of SB 2, 26 EMCs throughout the state are helping to provide broadband service to their members—either directly through an affiliate or through a partnership with a third-party internet service provider.

“We applaud Senator Gooch’s vision and passion for bettering the lives of Georgians,” Miller continued. “He understands the critical role electric utilities play in making sure that Georgia remains a great place to live, work and thrive, and he has fought diligently over his legislative career to support that.”