The 20^th century with its coal and oil and nuclear was more than a decade ago now. It’s time for Georgia to see the 21^st sunshine.

Jerry Grillo wrote for the July 2011 Georgia Trend, Partly Sunny In Georgia: The state’s solar industry is growing steadily, but slowly, as the national industry explodes

“Georgia is shackled to the 20th century,” Peterson says. “If all I did was look at Georgia, I’d think we were doing well. But I work all over the country, and I’m not kidding when I say we’re dealing with $500-million solar projects that have no chance of coming here because of systemic problems that keep Georgia from participating in the 21st-century economy, which has renewable energy as a major component.

“It’s disgusting, considering our potential, how much opportunity is lost, how much capital investment is passed up.”

All it would take to fix this is the political will.

Maybe if the people and elected and appointed officials look at the handwriting on the wall:

It might be time for Georgia to take note. A recent study by Arizona State University’s business school ranked us No. 3 in the country for solar development potential. It’s because we have plenty of sunshine and a growing stable of solar manufacturers (though there isn’t yet a significant amount of solar energy actually being deployed here).

North Carolina already solved this problem. Georgia could use the same legal policy and economic incentive solutions. That wouldn’t be like copying New Jersey, which is far ahead. North Carolina is a neighboring state, and Georgia has more sun than even NC.

It’s time for Georgia to leapfrog into the 21^st century.

-jsq

PS: Owed to Michael Noll.

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