As part of its Integrated Resources Plan, Georgia Power is looking to get approval for 525 MW of renewable energy. The Georgia Public Service Commission (GPSC) is the body which will make the decision about the utility’s renewable energy plan.
If approved, Georgia Power will hold auctions for the development of solar, wind, and biomass to companies both in and outside of Georgia. The target date for completion of the proposed renewable energy sources is 2018 and 2019.
Although solar power has grown in the state of Georgia, the Sierra Club and the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy observed that under Georgia Power’s Renewable Energy Initiative, there would be no new renewable energy coming online in 2017.
“It’s beyond my comprehension why you wouldn’t expand a successful program, and rather why you would scale it back,” said Sierra Club Georgia Chapter Director Colleen Kiernan.
According to a somewhat recent CleanTechnica article, the state of Georgia has about 161 MW of installed solar power capacity, but that amount might increase by several times soon.
One could easily understand that clean energy advocates would not be happy about an entire year with no new renewable energy coming online. However, the state of Georgia recently has been making some progress on the renewable energy front. It isn’t anywhere near North Carolina though, which is a leader among southern states in solar power.
Georgia has plenty of sunlight, so it is generally regarded as having a very strong solar power potential. Neighboring state Florida does as well, yet both of them are not exactly charging ahead to achieve their full capacities. Renewable energy is so much more affordable now that it doesn’t make much sense to continue heavily investing in non-renewable forms.
The Georgia Public Service Commission was created when the Railroad Commission of Georgia was expanded to cover more than railroad regulation. Today, it makes decisions which impact how much electricity, telephone and gas services cost residents, though there are only 5 elected Commissioners. Georgia Power provides electricity to almost every county in the state of Georgia, and has about 2.4 million customers.
Image Credit: Public Domain, Wiki Commons
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