Rincon, GA (May 5, 2023) – Today Oglethorpe Power held a dedication ceremony to officially rename the Effingham Energy Facility, a 500-megawatt natural gas-fired power plant located in Rincon, Georgia, to the Bobby C. Smith Jr. Energy Facility, in honor of its late board chairman. Before his passing in January 2022, Smith served on the Oglethorpe Power board of directors since May 2008 and as chairman since September 2015.

Attendees at the private dedication ceremony included members of Smith’s family, the Oglethorpe Power board of directors, representatives from Planters EMC, and Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives Jon Burns.

“Bobby was a truly exceptional leader, and renaming this energy facility will help us honor his legacy and express our gratitude for the invaluable contributions he made as the chairman and as a member of our board,” said Oglethorpe Power President & Chief Executive Officer Michael L. Smith.

“Bobby was an integral part of the Oglethorpe Power board, and his leadership was guided by a steadfast commitment to serving Georgia’s EMCs with excellence,” said Board Chairman Marshall Millwood. “Renaming this baseload generation facility in honor of Bobby is fitting, as he was dedicated to providing reliable and affordable energy to rural consumers served by EMCs.”

The energy facility, acquired by Oglethorpe Power in July 2021, is among the most efficient natural gas-fired generating facilities in the state and marked the company’s fifth of its six acquisitions of low-carbon emitting natural gas-fired generation over the last 14 years, totaling more than 3,000 megawatts of capacity.

“Bobby was my dear friend, and we shared a passion for helping rural Georgia families and businesses prosper. I’m proud to say that the Bobby C. Smith Jr. Energy Facility is helping to deliver on that mission,” said Speaker Jon Burns.

A resident of Rocky Ford, Georgia in Screven County, Smith was the owner-operator of B&K Farms and also a member of the board of directors for Planters EMC and the statewide trade association for Georgia’s electric cooperatives, Georgia EMC.

Horace H. Weathersby III, Oglethorpe Power board member and Planters EMC board chairman, praised Smith’s contributions to Planters EMC. “For more than 26 years, Bobby dutifully served on the Planters EMC board with a strategic mindset and sharp focus on how decisions impacted our members. He was a dedicated civic servant, and seeing this facility renamed in his honor is a testament to his lasting impact on our community.”

Oglethorpe Power serves 38 consumer-owned, not-for-profit distribution cooperatives across Georgia, including Planters EMC and Excelsior EMC, which provide electric service in Effingham County and surrounding counties. The Bobby C. Smith Energy Facility represents an essential baseload asset, helping Oglethorpe Power meet its members’ power supply needs in a reliable, environmentally responsible, cost-effective and safe manner.

 About Oglethorpe Power

Oglethorpe Power is one of the nation’s largest power supply cooperatives with more than $16 billion in assets serving 38 Electric Membership Corporations which, collectively, provide electricity to approximately 4.4 million Georgia residents. A proponent of conscientious energy development and use, Oglethorpe Power balances reliable and affordable energy with environmental responsibility and has an outstanding record of regulatory compliance. Its diverse energy portfolio includes natural gas, nuclear, hydroelectric and coal generating plants with a combined capacity of more than 7,800 megawatts. Oglethorpe Power was established in 1974 and is owned by its 38 Member Systems. Its headquarters are in Tucker, Georgia, an Atlanta suburb. For more information, visit www.opc.com.