{"id":1102,"date":"2012-02-16T11:17:28","date_gmt":"2012-02-16T16:17:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2012\/02\/stop-georgia-power-from-stopping-you-from-affording-solar.html"},"modified":"2012-02-16T11:17:28","modified_gmt":"2012-02-16T16:17:28","slug":"stop-georgia-power-from-stopping-you-from-affording-solar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2012\/02\/stop-georgia-power-from-stopping-you-from-affording-solar.html","title":{"rendered":"Stop Georgia Power from stopping you from affording solar"},"content":{"rendered":"Why can’t you do this?\n
\n\n<\/a>\nSay you own a coffee shop. You’d like to install solar panels on\nyour roof but can’t afford them. A company offers to install and\nlease you the equipment, provided you sign a long-term contract. The\ncompany will sell you energy at a cheaper rate than you already pay\nGeorgia Power. No longer would you be so susceptible to spikes in\nelectricity prices. Nor would your money be helping to support\nburning coal or nuclear power.\n<\/blockquote>\nGeorgia law says you can’t do that.\n

\nThat’s why\n\nSB 401 is in the Georgia Senate<\/a>.\nIt’s\n

\na common-sense measure that would put people to work, create a new\nsector in Georgia’s economy, and promote clean energy. In addition,\nthe legislation would help shield people from increases in\nelectricity rates, which, according to the U.S. Department of\nEnergy, have risen nearly 50 percent over the last seven years.\n<\/blockquote>\nWhy would Georgia Power not like that?\n\n\n
\nbecause the utility is concerned this measure will cut into its\nprofits. (It’s worth noting that, as a regulated monopoly, Georgia\nPower is guaranteed an 11 percent profit each year.)\n<\/blockquote>\nDo you get guaranteed an 11% profit on your investments every year?\nI didn’t think so.\n

\nYou may recall gapower’s parent company, The Southern Company,\n\ndeclared itself incompetent<\/a> to implement the new EPA rules about\ncoal plant pollution.\nInstead:\n

\nGeorgia Power is in the process of mothballing three of its coal\nplants because of stricter federal pollution requirements at the\nsame time it’s doubling down on two new nuclear reactors near\nAugusta, which were approved by the feds last week. But the Peach\nState needs to further diversify its energy resources. Georgia Power\nhad the opportunity to become a leader in the development of solar\npower in the Southeast, but it took a pass. Now it’s time to give\nothers a chance.\n<\/blockquote>\nSomebody remind me: if Georgia Power is incompetent to run\nmodern coal plants, why is Georgia Power competent to run nuclear plants?\n

\nWhich would you prefer?\nPaying Georgia Power’s Construction Work in Progress (CWIP)\ncharge for its boondoggle nukes (look on your bill; if you’re\na gapower customer, it’s on there)?\nOr being able to afford your own solar panels to generate\nyour own electricity?\n

\nIf you prefer the latter, you can help pass SB 401.\nSign\n\nthe petition,<\/a>\nor call your state Senator.\n

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