Who We Are

Irwin Electric Membership Corporation (EMC) is a service cooperative and is owned by those who receive services (called members). Irwin EMC is a not-for-profit electric utility that supplies energy to around 8,000 members in south central Georgia. It was started in 1936 to supply electricity to people in this rural area that investor-owned utilities refused to serve. The corporation is headquartered in Ocilla and serves members in Ben Hill, Berrien, Irwin, Tift, Turner, and Wilcox Counties.

All cooperatives operate by these seven basic principles:

• Voluntary and Open membership
• Democratic member control
• Limited return on capital
• Return of surplus to members
• Autonomy and independence
• Education of members
• Cooperation among cooperatives