ATLANTA — Reaction in Georgia split along ideological lines to a federal proposal released Monday to reduce carbon emissions 30 percent by 2030.
Environmental groups in the state hailed it as a victory, noting that Georgia once generated more than half the electricity is uses by burning coal, a major source of carbon emissions. The nation’s largest single source of carbon emissions is Georgia Power Company’s Plant Shearer in the heart of the state just north of Macon.
Achieving the ambitious goal will create jobs, the environmental groups argue, because the state’s utilities will need to hire people to install equipment to use renewable sources like solar, wind and biomass instead.
“The new safeguards not only protect our health and communities, but they will also spur innovation and strengthen our economy. By moving to 100 percent clean affordable energy sources, we’ll create tens of thousands of Georgia jobs and billions of dollars in new investment,” said Ashten Bailey, attorney with GreenLaw, a Georgia based legal advocacy.
The opposite will happen, according to members of the Public Service Commission will be a definite hike in electricity rates which will cost jobs from customers that won’t be able to afford new hires and from manufacturers that locate their factories overseas where rates are cheaper.
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