Cobb EMC

Cobb EMC, a not-for-profit electric cooperative headquartered in Marietta, Georgia, serves nearly 200,000 residential and commercial consumers across Cobb, Bartow, Cherokee, Fulton, and Paulding counties. Founded in 1938 with 489 members, its infrastructure now spans a significant chunk of the Metro Atlanta region, making it a critical component of local energy distribution. The cooperative model means member interests are the mission, but it also means the threat surface is tied directly to physical grid reliability and sensitive consumer data across a large, distributed service area. The operational stakes are concrete: Cobb EMC has been recognized for achieving the fastest power restoration times nationwide and for maintaining the lowest electric rates in Georgia for multiple years. That kind of reliability and cost efficiency depends on secure, resilient systems. The grid's attack surface - spanning OT networks, metering infrastructure, member portals, and internal corporate systems - requires defenders who understand that downtime or a data breach has immediate, physical-world consequences for hundreds of thousands of members. The cooperative is pushing into sustainability with a goal to reduce carbon emissions and increase its renewable energy portfolio by 200% by 2030. This transition adds new technology layers - solar integration, grid modernization, smart metering - all of which introduce fresh vectors. Security work here isn't abstract; it's about protecting an expanding energy grid and the trust of member-owners who expect their cooperative to keep the lights on safely and affordably.