Contact Canoochee EMC

Member service (toll-free)

1-800-342-0134

Billing, new service, payment arrangements, capital credits

Outage / emergency (24/7)

1-800-342-0134

Same line, automated after hours. Online outage map also available.

Headquarters (Reidsville)

342 East Brazell Street
Reidsville, GA 30453

Mailing: P.O. Box 487, Reidsville, GA 30453

Branch offices

Hinesville and Pembroke

Hinesville: 2983 GA Hwy 196W, 31313. Pembroke: 919 E Bacon St, 31321.

Cooperative fact sheet

Type
Electric Membership Corp (consumer-owned co-op)
Parent
None: member-owned
Members
~18,000 (~30,000 meters)
Service area
9 SE Georgia counties (2,737 mi of line)
Wholesale supplier
Oglethorpe Power Corp (OPC)
Transmission
GTC
System operator
GSOC
Retail choice?
No for residential. Commercial only above 900 kW
Rate authority
Elected board (not GA PSC)
Founded
1938

What you can do here

  • 1

    Start, stop, or transfer service

    Call 1-800-342-0134 at least 2 business days before move-in. Have a photo ID, move-in date, and account or service address ready.

  • 2

    Report an outage 24/7

    Same toll-free number, automated after hours. Crews are dispatched from Reidsville, Hinesville, or Pembroke based on the address.

  • 3

    Ask about capital credits

    Each year the elected board decides whether to retire patronage capital. Update your address every move so checks reach you years later.

All Georgia utilities

What Canoochee EMC does (and does not) do

Unlike Pennsylvania or Texas, Georgia did not split supply from delivery for residential customers. Canoochee EMC owns the poles and wires, buys the power on your behalf, and is the only company you call about your service.

Delivery (always Canoochee)

Distribution lines, substations, transformers, meters, tree-trimming, and the crew that restores power. 2,737 miles of distribution line serve ~30,000 meters.

Wholesale power (via OPC)

Canoochee buys most of its energy through Oglethorpe Power Corp, the generation co-op the EMCs collectively own. The cost is passed through; there is no markup.

Outage response

Canoochee is the only company to call for outages, downed lines, voltage problems, or meter issues. Never call Georgia Power: they do not serve this footprint.

About Canoochee EMC

Canoochee EMC was chartered in 1938 under the federal Rural Electrification Administration program, which financed cooperatives to bring electricity to farms and small towns that investor-owned utilities did not find profitable to serve. The cooperative is named after the Canoochee River, which flows through its footprint.

Today the co-op serves roughly 18,000 members through about 30,000 meters, maintaining 2,737 miles of distribution line across nine rural southeast Georgia counties. The footprint includes the area around Fort Stewart in Liberty County, the agricultural communities of Tattnall and Evans, and the bedroom communities of Bryan and Bulloch counties.

Governance is by a nine-member board elected by members at the annual meeting each fall. Directors serve three-year staggered terms. The board, not the Georgia PSC, sets retail rates.

Anatomy of a Canoochee EMC bill

A Canoochee residential bill has three main lines: a fixed basic service charge, per-kWh energy, and a power cost adjustment (PCA) that tracks the wholesale price the co-op pays OPC. None of the three is shoppable.

Line item What it pays for Shoppable?
Basic service charge Fixed monthly fee for meter, billing, the local grid No
Energy charge (per kWh) Per-kWh rate set by the elected board No
Power Cost Adjustment (PCA) Pass-through of OPC's wholesale price; moves up or down monthly No
Taxes & franchise fees State sales tax and any city or county franchise fee No

Reading tip

The PCA is why a Canoochee bill can change from one month to the next even if your kWh stay flat. When natural-gas prices spike at PJM or SERC wholesale, OPC passes the cost through to Canoochee, which passes it through to you. You can also see the same PCA on every other Georgia EMC bill that buys from Oglethorpe Power.

Canoochee EMC service area

Canoochee EMC delivers electricity in nine rural counties of southeast Georgia, anchored on Reidsville and stretching toward the coast.

Reidsville hub

Tattnall and Evans counties: Reidsville, Glennville, Cobbtown, Claxton, Manassas, and surrounding rural communities.

Hinesville / Liberty

Liberty and Long counties: Hinesville, Walthourville, Allenhurst, Ludowici, and rural areas around Fort Stewart military base.

Pembroke / coastal

Bryan and Bulloch counties: Pembroke, Ellabell, Black Creek, and the rural fringe of Statesboro and Richmond Hill.

Full county list: Tattnall, Evans, Liberty, Long, Bryan, Bulloch, Candler, Toombs, and Wayne. Counties served are split between Canoochee and neighboring EMCs (Coastal EMC, Excelsior EMC, Altamaha EMC) depending on the exact address.

Residential rate snapshot

EMC rates are set by the elected board, not the Georgia PSC. They are not benchmarked against a Price to Compare because residential customers cannot shop in Georgia.

Georgia residential average

~15.0 ¢/kWh

EIA Electric Power Monthly, March 2026

Rate authority

Elected board

Members vote at the annual meeting

Capital credits

Returned

Retired periodically by board vote

What it means for you

Because there is no retail choice, the only legal ways to cut your bill are efficiency upgrades, weatherization, time-of-use rates if Canoochee offers them, and assistance programs like LIHEAP. Always read your current Canoochee bill to see the exact basic charge, kWh rate, and PCA you are paying right now.

Sources: Canoochee EMC; EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A, March 2026.

Canoochee EMC contact directory

All three offices share the same toll-free number; in-person service is available during weekday business hours.

Reason for the call Number / address
Member service (toll-free) 1-800-342-0134
Outage / emergency (24/7) 1-800-342-0134
Headquarters (Reidsville) 342 East Brazell Street, Reidsville, GA 30453
Hinesville office 2983 GA Hwy 196W, Hinesville, GA 31313
Pembroke office 919 E Bacon St, Pembroke, GA 31321
Mailing address P.O. Box 487, Reidsville, GA 30453
Online bill pay billing.canoocheeemc.com/onlineportal

If you cannot pay your bill

Georgia EMCs work with the state's Energy Assistance Program (EAP) and a network of Community Action agencies. Apply before a disconnect notice arrives.

LIHEAP

Federal heating and cooling grant run by the Georgia Department of Human Services through local Community Action agencies. Cooling assistance typically opens in May, heating in November.

Community Action agencies

Local nonprofits administer LIHEAP, weatherization, and emergency hardship grants. For the Canoochee footprint, call your county's Community Action office or dial 2-1-1.

Deferred payment

Call 1-800-342-0134 before the due date to set up a deferred payment plan. Canoochee will work with members in good faith on a written arrangement.

Can I switch to a cheaper electricity supplier?

No. Georgia is a regulated state with very limited retail choice. Under the Georgia Territorial Electric Service Act of 1973, every address in the state is assigned by law to exactly one electric provider; for the Canoochee footprint, that provider is Canoochee EMC. Switching is not allowed for residential members.

The only exception is a new commercial or manufacturing load of 900 kW or greater at a single location. That customer has a one-time choice among the providers serving the area: Canoochee EMC, Georgia Power, or another adjacent EMC. Once chosen, the supplier is fixed.

For residential members, the legal ways to lower a bill are: efficiency upgrades (insulation, heat pump, LED lighting), time-of-use rate plans if Canoochee adds one, LIHEAP and local hardship grants, and solar plus net-metering within the terms of the EMC's interconnection policy.

Insider insight

The cooperative "Big 3" behind your Canoochee bill

Canoochee, like most Georgia EMCs, sits on top of three cooperatives that the EMCs themselves own. They are sometimes called the cooperative "Big 3":

  • 1
    Oglethorpe Power Corporation (OPC) generates and procures the wholesale energy. It owns a slice of Plant Vogtle (nuclear), gas peakers, and pumped storage, and buys the rest from the wholesale market;
  • 2
    Georgia Transmission Corporation (GTC) owns the high-voltage lines that move power from OPC's plants to Canoochee's substations;
  • 3
    Georgia System Operations Corporation (GSOC) dispatches the system in real time, runs the control room, and handles back-office IT.

When the OPC fuel bill rises, the cost moves through GTC, lands on Canoochee's wholesale invoice, and shows up as the PCA on your monthly bill. That is the chain to keep in mind when rates change.

Frequently asked questions

Can I shop for a cheaper electricity supplier in Canoochee EMC territory?
No. Georgia is a regulated state. The Georgia Territorial Electric Service Act of 1973 assigns every address to a single provider. Residential members of Canoochee EMC cannot shop. The only exception is a new commercial load of 900 kW or more; that customer has a one-time supplier choice.
Who owns Canoochee EMC?
The members do. Canoochee EMC is a not-for-profit cooperative; every customer is also a member-owner. A nine-member board, elected by members at the annual meeting each fall, sets policy and rates. There are no outside shareholders.
What are capital credits and when do I get them?
Because Canoochee is not-for-profit, any revenue left after expenses is allocated back to members in proportion to what they spent that year. The board decides each year how much of those allocations to retire: paid out as a check or bill credit. Always update your address when you move, since retirements often happen years after the original year of service.
Who do I call for an outage or downed line?
Call Canoochee EMC 24/7 at 1-800-342-0134. Do not call Georgia Power; they do not serve this footprint and cannot dispatch a crew. If a wire is on the ground or anyone is hurt, dial 911 first, then Canoochee. Never approach a downed line; assume it is energized.
Does Canoochee EMC deliver natural gas?
No. Canoochee is electric only. In the cooperative's footprint, natural gas is delivered by Atlanta Gas Light through a competitive natural gas marketer (Georgia's gas market is deregulated), or by a local municipal gas system in some smaller towns.
What is Oglethorpe Power and how does it affect my Canoochee bill?
Oglethorpe Power Corporation (OPC) is the generation and transmission cooperative the Georgia EMCs collectively own. It generates or buys the wholesale power and sells it to Canoochee at cost. When OPC's fuel and capacity costs rise or fall, Canoochee passes the change through to your bill on the Power Cost Adjustment line.
How does the board election work?
Members vote at the annual meeting each fall. Canoochee has nine directors serving staggered three-year terms, meaning roughly three seats are up for election each year. One member, one vote; size of your bill does not change your vote. Eligibility, district maps, and candidate procedures are spelled out in the cooperative's bylaws.
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