It’s a win for jobs and clean air and plenty of water in Georgia!
Doubled requirements on solar power, and a dozen coal plants shut down.

2, 4, 6, 8, solar power can’t wait!

The

astroturf resistance fizzled, while the pro-solar grassroots
coalition won.
(Pictures of the two demonstrations by Ted Terry.)

525 megawatts more solar power required, on top of

last year’s 210 megawatts, for more than 735 MW total.
That’s still

trailing New Jersey’s already-installed 1,000 MW,
but it’s a big step forward.

The vote was either 4 to 1 (
Ray Henry of AP)
or 3 to 2 (Georgia Sierra Club tweeting from the Commission chamber).
As

Ray Henry tweeted:

“All opposed, say aye.” Wait, what? #gapsc

I’m guessing at least one nay vote was Stan Wise, judging by these
@gasierraclub tweets:

Sierra Club – Georgia Chapter:


Georgia Beyond Coal @GaBeyondCoal 2h

#GaPSC, Everett: remember Both @GeorgiaPower and PSC Staff Testified that #GaSolar Proposal will Not Raise Rates. #CleanEnergy




Georgia Beyond Coal @GaBeyondCoal 2h

#GaPSC Commissioner Stan Wise Going on an Extensive Irate Diatribe Against Clean Energy, His Colleagues, and @gasierraclub #GaSolar

Seth Gunning of GA Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal confirms:

And Chuck Eaton. Eaton proposed an amendment that would increase the
distributed generation in Mcdonalds proposal from 100mw to 250. That
amendment was voted down by Echols, McDonald, and Everett. I think
this is why Eaton did not support the proposal.

Update 2013-07-12: from Seth Gunning

To clarify. Eaton and Wise voted against McDonalds solar proposal (Eaton was a nay because- we assume- his motion to expand distributed generation in the proposal failed). Wise was the only one who voted “no” on the final IRP order which included the approved 525mw of solar, Eaton did vote yes on that.

Joeff Davis wrote for Creative Loafing today,

PSC approves plan ordering Georgia Power to add more solar power,

State regulators today approved a plan that would require Georgia
Power to use more solar energy—a move the powerful utility,
backed by some conservative organizations, fought. The actual impact
of the plan that could add more than 525 megawatts of solar power in
Georgia passed today by the Public Service Commission must still be
analyzed.

But today’s hearing and vote capped several weeks of heated debate
and questions about solar power’s future in Georgia. People on both
sides of the issue packed a standing-room only hearing today at the
PSC. Demonstrators called for more clean energy at a pro-solar
energy rally in front of the Gold Dome. And inside the Capitol, a
conservative group warned of financial consequences of expanding
solar energy in Georgia.

The day started with roughly 40 pro-solar demonstrators rallying in
front of the Gold Dome with sign and chants like “2, 4, 6, 8, solar
power can’t wait.” Demonstrators, which included members of the
Sierra Club and Georgia Tea Party Patriots, fanned across Washington
Street in front of the Capitol. The group cheered when their
enthusiasm was met by honking cars.

“I support clean energy, I support not blowing up the Appalachian
Mountains [to obtain coal] and I prefer being on the right side of
history,” said Chris Theal. Sierra Club volunteer Nina Dutton said
she came to the rally because the PSC’s vote on solar energy offered
an “unusual opportunity to push Georgia Power in the right
direction.”

PR by Colleen Kiernan of Sierra Club and Ashten Bailey of GreenLaw today,

HISTORIC ENERGY PLAN RETIRES ONE-FIFTH OF GEORGIA POWER’S COAL PLANTS , CREATES NEW SOLAR PROGRAM:
Positions Georgia as Clean Energy Leader in the Southeast,

Today the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) voted to approve
Georgia Power’s proposal to retire 20% of its coal plants and added
a major new program to bring 525 megawatts (MW) of solar power
developments to Georgia by 2016. The Sierra Club and GreenLaw
commend the Commission for its initiative, which will help stabilize
customer electricity rates while creating jobs and accelerating
solar development in Georgia over the next several years. Groups
from across the political spectrum came together Thursday morning to
rally in support of solar. Only three turned out for the anti-solar
rally hosted by Americans for Prosperity. See

pictures here.

“Solar is the best bet against rising electric rates —
the fuel will always be free and you’ll never have to spend millions
on environmental controls,” said Colleen Kiernan, director of
the Georgia Chapter of the Sierra Club. “Georgia Power just
filed for yet another rate increase to pay for obsolete, unnecessary
coal plants, while Georgia’s Public Service Commission is providing
true leadership and protecting consumers.”

Commissioner Lauren “Bubba” McDonald proposed the new
solar developments as an amendment to Georgia Power’s proposed 2013
energy plan, which lays out how the utility will generate and
purchase power for its customers for the next twenty years. The plan
calls for 525 MW of new solar developments, to be developed in 2015
and 2016, extending and expanding last year’s Advanced Solar
Initiative, which will bring 210 MW of solar power to Georgia by
2015. Georgia is fifth in the nation for solar energy potential, yet
is currently ranked 38th for the total number of solar power
projects installed.

“Before the Commission proposed this new solar development,
Georgia Power’s long-term energy plan had no program to add clean
energy,” said Ashten Bailey with GreenLaw. “With this
new initiative, we’re no longer at the back of the pack and can
truly compete to be a clean energy leader in the Southeast.”

Georgia Power currently has more generating capacity than is needed
now or for the foreseeable future. As a result the Sierra Club,
represented by GreenLaw, argued against new spending on coal units
that are not needed to meet customer demand and will need new
pollution control retrofits in order to meet health standards.

Today’s new solar proposal provides another opportunity for Georgia
Power to completely phase out its expensive and unnecessary
coal-burning units at Plant McIntosh. Nationwide, utilities are
phasing out aging and dirty coal-fired power plants as clean energy
powers more and more American homes and businesses. Since 2010, 149
coal-fired plants have been announced for retirement.

-jsq