Sumter EMC holds annual meeting on South George Technical College campus

Published 7:44 am Monday, August 4, 2025

Sumter EMC held their 87 annual meeting on South Georgia Technical College’s campus on August 2. Treasurer William Harris gave the finance report. While copies of the official treasurer’s report were in Georgia Magazine, he gave approximate values. “In 2024, Sumter EMC’s operating revenues were approximately $55,119,000, and total operating expenses including interest were approximately $51,631,000, leaving operating margins of approximately $784,000. Added to this were capital credits earned from associated organizations and non-operating margins of approximately $1,885,000 for a total margins of approximately $2,670,000. These margins have been allocated to the capital credit account of each of our member consumers.”

He gave the total assets for the year ending in 2024 as approximately $173,184,000. The total long-term debt is $71,627,000.

Sumter EMC sees new members and new needs for power. “We will have to continue to borrow money and use margins to build new facilities in the future. This must be done in order to maintain continuity and reliability of services.”

CEO Renee Smith also gave a report. “Georgia is well known for being one of the best states in the nation for doing business, and a large part of that success is having a robust and cost competitive electric grid. Sumter EMC’s rates for 2024 were below the national average, and in line with the average for all of Georgia electric co-ops, which is especially difficult for us to achieve because we’re serving a very rural area. In fact, Sumter EMC’s density is so low, there is only one other co-op out of the 41 Georgia co-ops that serves a more rural area than we do.”

He thanked members for their patience during Hurricane Helene, when the co-op sent help to affected areas. “I want you to know that Sumter EMC provided more assistance to the electric co-ops affected by Hurricane Helene than any other disaster in our 87-year history.”

Cecil O. Myers, representing Sumter County, David A. Barrett, representing Stewart and Quitman counties, and Lehanne Singleton, representing Marion County, were reelected to the Board for three-year terms.