Georgia’s halting rollout of solar power still rates above other states in region, clean energy advocates say

A clean energy watchdog’s annual report on solar power generation by state ranks Georgia among the top adopters of green technology in the South.

On Thursday, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy released its sixth annual report on tapping into solar energy in the Southeast to highlight how seven states are converting sunlight into electricity. The report credits the considerable progress some states like Georgia will make due to an influx of federal grant money. Work has resumed on utility-scale solar projects that were delayed because of pandemic-era interruptions to the supply chain.

The Southern Alliance predicts that Georgia will surpass North Carolina for second place in the region in the next two years for total solar installations and average wattage produced per customer.

Out of the seven states analyzed, Georgia scored third with 3,769 megawatts of distributed and utility scale solar in 2022 and projections of nearly 8,000 megawatts statewide in 2026.

The Southeast has tripled its solar capacity to 18,000 megawatts since the annual report series began six years ago. Florida currently leads the pack with more than 7,200 megawatts produced in the Sunshine State, with Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee rounding out the bottom.

The report forecasts Georgia will nearly double its amount of solar watts per customer from about 700 last year to almost 1,400 watts in 2026.

“We firmly believe that solar power is a workhorse technology for the Southeast,” Southern Alliance executive director Stephen Smith said. “One of the blessings we have in the Southeast is we have a great climate. We’re blessed with plenty of sunshine, and that power from our nearest star really helps deliver an enormous amount of power that as we capture more and more of it we can put to clean use for our human needs.”

The most important factor driving up solar use is Congress passing the sweeping Inflation Reduction Act, which includes programs like a $9.7 billion grant that further bolsters rural electric co-ops’ ability to provide clean energy services at prices that are comparable to private utilities, the report said.

An example of a major investment into solar technology is the $2.5 billion manufacturing plant being built in Dalton, Georgia by Hanwha Qcells.

“The Inflation Reduction Act was the most significant climate and clean energy policy last year – in fact, the most significant in history,” the southern energy group’s report said. “The package of tax credits and other incentives will assure progress on clean energy and emission reductions for the next decade.”

A long-term plan for Georgia Power to add 2,300 megawatts of renewable energy by the end of the decade was approved by the state’s utility regulators last year.

Solar distributed-generation is expected to reach 200 megawatts by 2025 and utility-scale renewable energy – mainly solar – is projected to reach 2,100 megawatts by 2029.

Southern Alliance is critical of the Georgia Public Service Commission for not expanding Georgia Power’s popular “net metering” rooftop solar program, which is currently limited to 5,000 households. The commission also signed off on temporarily increasing the compensation Georgia Power receives for revenue it loses to solar power sources.

“Consequently, rooftop solar will remain a very small element of distributed solar in Georgia and the market will continue to struggle,” the report says.

Georgia Power spokesman John Kraft said that the company will continue working with state regulators to increase solar and other renewable generation capacity by more than 70 percent by 2025. The company encourages people who are interested in rooftop solar to apply for its programs.

“We believe all renewable energy expansion must occur in a safe, reliable, and equitable manner that protects customers from bearing costs that are not caused by or attributable to them,” he said. As more customers invest in renewable resources like rooftop solar, Georgia Power is committed to working with the Georgia PSC to implement policies that support the growth of behind-the-meter generation while also protecting non-participating customers from increased costs.”

Solar energy advocates anticipate lawmakers will continue to push for legislation in 2024 that could lead to big changes to industry regulations and could rapidly expand Georgia’s rooftop solar market.

Walton EMC and Georgia Power remain on the Southern Alliance list for utilities with the highest solar ambitions for the next four years.

Monroe-based EMC serves nearly 140,000 customers and represents about half of Oglethorpe Power’s solar deployment. Walton is credited with using Facebook as a way to drive up interest in solar.

“Walton EMC regained the top slot on this SunRiser list, and its lead over all the others is striking,” the report says.

Among the Southeast’s large utilities with 500,000 or more customers, Georgia Power ranks fourth for solar wattage generated per consumer.

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