It wasn’t terribly long ago when critics hit Georgia Power for holding back the expansion of solar power in the state. Today though, all you’ll hear from them is crickets as the utility company continues to push for new ways of generating solar energy across Georgia.
In 2015 the Governor signed HB 57 into law. The bill allowed for private homeowners to lease solar panels for their homes, selling back excess power generated there into the grid. An unexpected alliance of the Tea Party and Sierra Club helped push the bill through the House, (where it passed unanimously) as both parties urged the state to embrace alternative forms of energy that will in equal parts help the environment and the bottom lines of citizens looking for lower energy costs.
Shortly thereafter Georgia Power and others joined in the process of leasing out solar panels to interested customers, providing options for Peach State residents who have been itching for alternative energy sources. While the number of customers has grown more slowly than expected, the number of solar energy users is increasing statewide.
The solar farm at Ft. Benning, GA -courtesy of the AJC-
Leasing to individuals, though, is only a small part of Georgia Power’s investment in solar power. Last week, the company broke ground on a solar power farm just outside Albany which will provide enough electricity to power over 5,000 homes. The solar farm is the 5th of its kind in the state, with all five being constructed on military bases, a mutually beneficial arrangement which sees the military provide unused land in exchange for emergency power reserves when necessary.
The push to increase solar power is part of a larger movement from Georgia Power to create cleaner, more efficient energy in the state. With new reactors at Augusta’s Plant Vogtle along with a shift to more natural gas facilities as opposed to coal, the company is in the midst of a full on transition toward green(er) energy.
Critics of energy utility companies are never going to ever disappear entirely, but with Georgia’s leading producer taking steps toward solar power and more options for consumers, they’ve certainly been muffled over the past year.
