{"id":396,"date":"2012-10-22T09:14:47","date_gmt":"2012-10-22T13:14:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2012\/10\/georgia-power-hikes-prices-for-gas-and-nuclear-then-complains-about-solar.html"},"modified":"2012-10-22T09:14:47","modified_gmt":"2012-10-22T13:14:47","slug":"georgia-power-hikes-prices-for-gas-and-nuclear-then-complains-about-solar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2012\/10\/georgia-power-hikes-prices-for-gas-and-nuclear-then-complains-about-solar.html","title":{"rendered":"Georgia Power hikes prices for gas and nuclear, then complains about solar"},"content":{"rendered":"

\nBack in February,
\n
\n\"Georgia<\/a>
\nGeorgia Power argued that a free market in solar power would cause
\nprice increases.
\nYet they already increased prices for natural gas and
\nfor nuclear plants that won’t produce electricity for years, if ever,
\nand are already massively overbudget and behind schedule.
\nWhy should we believe them about solar when it’s their archaic projects
\nthey already
\nare<\/em> deploying that already have<\/em> increased customer prices?\n<\/p>\n

\nIn February,
\n
\nGreg Roberts of Georgia Power argued,<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\n

\nAnother reason is that the customers of Georgia Power, Georgia’s
\n
\n\"Georgia<\/a>
\nEMC’s and Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia are paying for the
\npoles and wires to transmit power, and the back-up generation to
\ncover the electricity needs when the sun isn’t shining. These costs
\nwill have to be recovered from other customers not getting the
\nprivileged deal from the developer, raising everyone else’s rates.\n<\/p>\n

\nWhile there are already numerous federal and state tax and other
\nincentives for solar development in Georgia, it is still much more
\ncostly than the service provided by utilities. But what if
\nthird-party solar developers could get other electric customers in
\nGeorgia to foot the bill? That would be the result of this
\nlegislation.\n<\/p>\n

\nIt’s like asking Sally’s Caf\u00e9 to pay the electric bill of Joe’s
\nCafe across the street, thus allowing Joe to undercut Sally’s
\nprices.\n<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nGeorgia Power well knows they could take a percentage of any power
\ntransmitted through their lines, so that wires and poles and
\nbackup generation argument is ludicrous.
\nAnd as far as subsidies, how about this one,
\n
\nGeorgia Power, Get the Facts, Investing in Georgia’s Energy Future:<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

\nThe Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) voted Dec. 21 to approve
\na plan that will increase Georgia Power’s base rates about 10
\npercent beginning Jan. 1, 2011 to recover the costs of investments
\nin cleaner generation sources, power lines, smart grid technologies,
\nenvironmental controls and energy efficiency programs to meet
\ncurrent and future customer demand.\n<\/p>\n

Beginning Jan, 1, 2011:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Additional increases are as follows<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Year<\/th>\nMonthly Dollar Increase<\/th>\nPercentage Increase<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
2011<\/td>\n$10.76<\/td>\n10%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2012<\/td>\n$3.09<\/td>\n2.6%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2013<\/td>\n$1.48<\/td>\n1.2%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\nFor business customers, the average increase will range from about 7
\npercent to 8.7 percent.\n<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nSo if it’s about 10% increase overall, and business customers
\naverage only 7% to 8.7% increase, who gets more than 10% increase?
\nThat would be Sally and Joe’s customers at their home meters!\n<\/p>\n

\nIf Georgia Power is so organized about power lines that solar would
\ndisturb that and cause price increases, why did Georgia Power
\nless than two years ago raise rates partly to deploy power lines?
\nAt a time when
\n
\n\"National<\/a>
\n
\neven National Geographic could find few if any solar plants in Georgia<\/a>
\nand was repeating
\n
\nGEFA’s canard that solar was only for the southwest<\/a>
\nwhile biomass was for Georgia?
\n(Funny how
\n
\nother<\/em> companies have plans for several solar plants
\nin Georgia as big as any solar plant Southern Company has deployed in
\nthe southwest,<\/a> and none of the Georgia ones require any rate hikes.)\n<\/p>\n

\nAnd what are these “cleaner generation sources” Georgia Power already
\nraised prices to cover?\n<\/p>\n

\n