ATLANTA, June 7, 2002 -- Oglethorpe Power Corp. has placed into commercial operation units 3 and 4 of a planned six unit, natural gas- powered energy facility in Talbot County. Units 1 and 2 were declared commercial in early May, and the fifth and sixth units are scheduled for commercial operation by June 2003. Each of the six units will be rated at 108,000 kilowatts.

The Talbot Energy Facility is owned by a group of 30 Georgia EMCs who are participating in the power plant project. Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation is the primary contractor and equipment supplier for the project. Oglethorpe Power began constructing the facility last summer.

"We are very pleased that we've been able to get the first four units of this much-needed plant online for the summer," said Dale R. Murphy, vice president, generation projects.

The new facility will supply peaking power to participating EMCs. It is expected to provide more than a million dollars in annual property tax, sales tax and other benefits to the county when it is fully operational.

Oglethorpe Power Corporation is a not-for-profit cooperative serving 39 of Georgia's 42 customer-owned EMCs. These EMCs provide electric power to more than 3.7 million Georgians.