Rural Oconee County Residents Concerned About Frequent Power Outages

Repeated power outages in the town of North High Shoals and nearby communities in western Oconee County have left residents questioning the reliability of their electricity provider and seeking answers about when the outages will be addressed.

“Sometimes it is seven, eight times in a month,” said Joy Sizemore, a resident of North High Shoals for 25 years, describing the frequency of power outages.

The town of North High Shoals primarily receives power from two utility companies, Walton EMC and Georgia Power. According to residents of the town, households using Georgia Power experience frequent power outages that neighbors with Walton EMC do not.

“I can tell you the neighbor that built their house right across the street from us had the opportunity by moving their house, you know, [to] a certain place on their property if they would get Georgia Power or if they would get Walton EMC. They moved their house so that they would get Walton EMC,” said Nancy Clark, a resident of Good Hope, a town near North High Shoals.

Clark said the difference can be noticeable even between neighboring homes.

“So our power’s off, the person directly across the street from us, his power’s on,” said Clark.

“It’s just weird that people a mile away will have power, but no one down in High Shoals does for hours,” said Sizemore.

Residents have had different experiences when trying to contact Georgia Power about outages.

“My husband has sent emails with no reply,” said Sizemore. “I would like for [a] Georgia Power representative maybe to come to one of our town council meetings and talk with us and let us ask questions because that has never happened.”

Clark, however, said she received help from a Georgia Power representative during a previous outage.

“I do think that, you know, they do their best, honestly, to get the power restored quickly,” said Clark.

Local government leaders are well aware of the problem.

“Sometimes it affects government business of North High Shoals because, you know, the internet’s out and the power’s out,” said Mayor Stephen Goad.

Goad has said many residents have contacted his office about the outages via town hall council meetings, phone calls, emails and have been notified via community members on Facebook.

Goad said the town’s ability to directly address the outages is limited because Georgia Power is responsible for operating its utility system.

“They have total responsibility for it as a utility provider that, you know, has income revenue from services paid for,” said Goad.

Goad said Georgia Power is working to resolve the issue, which includes trimming tree limbs and other vegetation covering power lines.

“They say they’re completing extensive vegetation management work across a large portion of this circuit between this fall and this coming year,” said Goad.

“Some of these outages, I’ll bet, have been like a vehicle wreck hitting a pole. Some things that they could do nothing about, but it seems that most of these are still vegetation, tree issues,” said Goad.

Georgia Power responded to residents’ concerns in a letter sent on Sept. 24, 2026. “Although reliability has improved, we recognize that outages remain a concern for many in the community,” Georgia Power officials wrote in the letter to residents.

The utility company also said they will continue to improve reliability in the area.

“This work includes targeted vegetation management, equipment upgrades and the use of advanced technologies to identify and address potential risks before they cause outages,” the letter stated.

For Goad, the town’s role is primarily to advocate for residents. “It’s mainly serving as a voice and an advocate for the town,” said Goad.