While Georgia Power

continues to block solar deployment in Georgia,
Austin Energy forges ahead in Texas with a utility-scale solar plant.

Here’s their PR,

Austin Energy Activates 30 MW Solar Farm,

AUSTIN, Texas , Jan. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Austin Energy
along with Austin City Mayor Lee Leffingwell , and Village of


Webberville Mayor Hector Gonzales today announced the activation of
a 30 megawatt (MW) solar power plant located within the Village of
Webberville, Texas . The activation of the power plant marks the
first utility-scale solar deployment for Austin Energy and helps
bring the utility one step closer to achieving a 35% renewable
energy mix by 2020. It is the largest active solar project of any
public power utility in the country, the largest active project in
Texas and among the largest of all operating solar projects in
America. The project was activated on December 20, 2011

The key was a PPA:

The utility-scale solar project was made possible through a 25-year
solar power purchase agreement in which Austin Energy will purchase
the energy at a fixed rate along with the renewable energy credits.

In Georgia, PPAs can be made with municipal governments,
universities, companies, or even individuals,

if SB 401 passes.

An opportunity for EMCs:

As a publicly owned power company and a city department, Austin
Energy returns profits to the community annually. That money helps
fund City services such as fire, police, EMS, parks, and libraries.
The utility has provided $1.5 billion in dividends to the community
since 1976.

And that’s from the energy company with the first and largest
solar rebates in the country, and now one of the largest solar
utility installations in the country.
Apparently there’s money in solar!

Wait,

that’s what Dr. Sidney Smith said!

-jsq