Solar Energy for Georgia

This comes from last month from Georgia Forum:

If Sun Rises, State Can Meet Renewable Energy Goals
By: James Marlow

At a recent congressional hearing, Public Service Commissioner Stan Wise was told Congress that Georgia cannot meet a proposed mandate to obtain at least 25 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2025. He went on to say that other states would be able to meet the requirement, but Georgia cannot, due to a lack of sunlight.

"This assertion, is just plain wrong," says James B. Marlow Jr., CEO of Radiance Solar, an Atlanta solar energy company. "Georgia averages over five solar sun hours each day, which is more than enough sun for solar to make a significant contribution to Georgia's energy needs."

"In fact, solar energy has worked well everywhere it has been deployed, including places far less sunny than Georgia," says Marlow in an article for the Georgia Forum. "Germany is the world's leading solar market and averages only two solar sun hours each day. Solar energy is also working in Canada and in the Northeastern U.S."

I would add here that solar might not be able to do it all by itself, but solar (which are good for rooftops even in urbab areas) along with wind and biofuels (which can help farmers as well) Georgia can easily meet the requirements AND MORE. For a more general discussion of this, please see the Union of Concerned Scientists website.

Back to the Georgia Forum article:

"Some claim that solar is too expensive, but when they compare solar to traditional energy sources such as nuclear or coal, they do not fully include federal subsidies and the environmental costs of those sources," he adds. "More importantly, the cost of solar is rapidly coming down, while the cost of building traditional power plants is going up."

"Solar is also 'shovel ready,' meaning it is a technology that can be put right to work today," Marlow states. "In addition to providing clean electricity, solar can quickly provide thousands of high quality, high paying new jobs for Georgians. New solar construction can start in a few weeks, and large systems can be operational in 90 to 180 days. Plant Vogtle's proposed reactors, by contrast, will not be operational until 2017 or beyond..."

"Hopefully, Georgia will soon join North Carolina, Florida and 30 other states in making the development of solar energy a priority."