Bill would open electric co-op meetings

By Margaret Newkirk

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The state’s 42 electric membership cooperatives would have to open up board meetings to their members and the public under a bill introduced Tuesday by state Rep. Wendell Willard, R-Sandy Springs.

HB 316, which has at least five other Republican sponsors, would make the board meetings subject to the state's open meetings law.

Advocates have been pushing for greater transparency at electric cooperatives since 2009. Until now, no one was willing to become lead sponsor.

Two of the six  sponsors of HB 316 come from counties served by Marietta-based Cobb EMC, which has been snarled in controversy since 2007: A Cobb County grand jury indicted the co-op's chief executive in January on charges of racketeering and theft from co-op members.

HB 316’s co-sponsors are Rep. Sharon Cooper, R-Marietta, and Rep. Gerald Green, R-Cuthbert, both of whom have constituents served by Cobb EMC; Rep. Mike Jacobs, R-Atlanta; Rep. Alex Atwood, R-Brunswick, and Rep. B.J. Pak, R-Lilburn.

Electric cooperatives are monopolies like Georgia Power or Atlanta Gas Light, but they are not regulated in the same way. They have traditionally been considered self-regulating because customers elect co-op governing boards.