Cobb EMC announced this week it is eliminating 80 positions as a result of an operational assessment aimed at cutting costs.

Affected employees have been offered severance packages based on years of service to the energy cooperative, one of the largest in the state.

“For the past five years, we’ve implemented a series of strategic changes,” said Tripper Sharp, Chairman of Cobb EMC’s board of directors.

Board member Charles Swanson said the 80 positions represented about 18 percent of the workforce, saving the cooperative an estimated $8 million a year.

“Hopefully, we can reflect that in ... rates,” he said.

Cobb EMC’s leadership has sought to move past

an explosive corruption scandal that saw the utility settle a class action suit for $98 million.

Theft and racketeering charges against former CEO Dwight Brown were dismissed last year. The state has appealed that decision.

About the Author

Keep Reading

 Catherine Bernard, an attorney for the Georgia Republican Assembly, speaks to the State Ethics Commission during preliminary hearings on campaign finance charges Thursday.
(Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Featured

Fans celebrate in the stands after Cape Verde defeated Eswatini in a World Cup qualifying soccer match at Estádio Nacional in Praia, Cape Verde, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, to clinch their qualification for the 2026 World Cup. (Cristiano Barbosa/AP)

Credit: AP