"He

is very educated and knows his business," offered Avanesyan, adding

that the visit to Coweta-Fayette EMC was the most informative of several

stops on the group's itinerary.

David Khachatryan,

chief engineer of the Yerevan Electrical Network, concurred, saying

that he was "very much surprised" that the company president

would know the answers to so many questions and be so involved in the

operations of the firm.

According

to the visitors, the public utility company in Armenia is divided into

territories and each of them worked for a different sector, or for a

research and development arm. The differences, they say, in how the

businesses operate here and there are vast.

Without legal

ramifications (such as our court system), the utility company in their

country is unable to turn off the electricity to some industries, even

if they never pay. While the theft of electricity is virtually unheard

of in America, the Armenians say it accounts for up to 30 percent of

their losses each year.

During their

stay, the group learned about modern equipment for reading meters, and

how much more effective their own billing process could be with changes.

"In Armenia, all the meters are read on the same day," explained

Levon Aghekyan, deputy general director, head of the training center

for the Institute of Energy.

He went on

to say that the number of employees needed to accomplish such a task

was high, and therefore, costs were also exorbitant. Wearing casual

clothes and EMC caps for their final day on the road with meter readers,

the group was able to enjoy a warm, sunny afternoon driving around Fayette

and Coweta counties.

When Gagik

Margaryan (head of the Power Control and Analysis Department, Yerevan

Electrical Network) took a break with his new friends and comrades,

it was with levity that he recounted the day's experiences. His memories

would include the fact that he "walked and walked and walked."

In Armenia, he obviously hadn't been out for a day with his crews.

And Coweta-Fayette

EMC meter readers decided that fun is fun in any language and in any

country.

Taking home

a bag of promotional items and printed materials, each of the men said

that they hoped to use the knowledge and experience they had attained

during the trip to America. "This is one of the most valuable programs

that the NRECA has sponsored over the years," concluded Whiteside.

"We thoroughly enjoy the experience and are proud to be of service

to our counterparts across the globe. Naturally, we wish the best for

this group as they go through the arduous task of the privatization

process."

NRECA International

(a subsidiary of NRECA) is a non-governmental organization that provides

technical assistance and expertise in electric power systems with a

focus on rural electrification in developing countries. For nearly 40

years, the program has provided technical assistance to electric utilities

throughout the world.

The organization

represents nearly 1,000 member systems and is the largest distribution

utility network in the U.S.

Robert Schiller,

senior management consultant for NRECA and its internship program, accompanied

the group of Armenians as they toured the country, visiting a number

of cooperatives.

Coweta-Fayette

EMC provides electric power to members in Coweta, Fayette, Heard, Meriwether,

and parts of south Fulton, Clayton and Spalding counties. Recently,

the EMC introduced a subsidiary, Relyco, to offer and manage a wide

variety of services that are available to both members and nonmembers,

including home security and monitoring, pagers, installation of BOSE

sound equipment and a surge and lightning damage protection program.

For information

phone 770-502-0226.