October 20, 2010
U.S.Green Building Council Presents Award at Warehouse Ceremony
Georgia Transmission Corporation today received the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design® (LEED) Gold Certification for a private, new construction building in Middle Georgia. The U.S. Green Building Council presented the LEED certification for Georgia Transmission’s warehouse and distribution center on Ray Hartley Road during a special ceremony at the facility.
Georgia Transmission worked with Macon-based general contractors Stroud and Company, and Southface, an Atlanta non-profit environmental consulting organization, to design a facility in accord with the LEED Gold certification. Among the items cited by U.S. Green Building Council in awarding the certification are energy-efficient lighting; a smoke-free environment; low-flow toilets and faucets; and the use of low-volatile organic compound-emitting materials, water-efficient landscaping, and green cleaning materials providing better air quality and reducing exposure to chemicals.
The facility has reduced energy use by an estimated 34.6 percent and reduced water use by an estimated 50.7 percent. More than 20 percent of the building materials contain recycled materials, and a comprehensive recycling program was implemented at the facility. Approximately 29 percent of the building materials were purchased locally or regionally, reducing vehicular transport and stimulating the local economy.
“This high honor from the U.S. Green Building Council reinforces our commitment to sustainability and being a good steward of the community and its resources,” said Georgia Transmission president and chief executive officer Mike Smith. “We make every effort to preserve and protect the environment as we build and maintain a statewide network of 3,000 miles of high-voltage power infrastructure. We are proud to reflect that effort in our own facility.”
Completed in late 2009, the 80,400-square-foot facility includes a 50,000-square-foot warehouse building, an 18,000-square-foot wire storage area and a 12,400-square-foot transformer storage area. Georgia Transmission will pay approximately $170,000 in property taxes annually on the $5.2 million facility. Warehouse operations are projected to increase gross local area product over the first 10 years by $10.7 million and create $2.1 million in taxable sales in the community.
In the 2010 Build Georgia Awards, sponsored by the Associated General Contractors of America, the warehouse won first place for best sustainable building practices, and a merit award for new construction projects by contractors with revenues of $5 million to $10 million.
About Georgia Transmission Corporation
Georgia Transmission is a not-for-profit cooperative owned by 39 Electric Membership Corporations (EMCs) in Georgia. Georgia Transmission plans, builds and maintains high-voltage electric transmission lines that deliver electricity to these EMCs, which then deliver it to members along electric distribution lines and systems. The corporation owns more than $1.6 billion in assets, including nearly 3,000 miles of transmission lines and more than 600 substations across the state.
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Terry Cullen
Georgia Transmission Corp.
770-270-7207
Email: terry.cullen@gatrans.com