Wind for Georgia jobs and electricity?

Georgia is already benefiting by jobs from wind manufacturing. What if we increased that, and generated wind energy, too?

Kristi E. Swartz wrote for the AJC 2 June 2012, Ga. blown away by wind’s potential,

The state already is home to more than a dozen companies that make components that either go into wind turbines or that assist in building them. Such development has been a way for Georgia and the Southeast to capitalize on the wind energy industry even though the state lacks a steady wind needed for the giant turbines to spin constantly and create electricity.

“It’s … to have some visibility in the industry and to let those industry players know that this is an industry that’s important to Georgia, that it is on our radar screen, and it’s one of our targeted industries,” said Tom Croteau, director of the Economic Development Department’s food, energy, logistics and agribusiness projects division.

That’s good, let’s do more of it. Except that part about “lacks a steady wind”: we know Georgia does have wind offshore.

Here’s why we’re not generating wind electricity in Georgia. Hint: the answer is Southern Company.

When it comes to actually getting electricity from renewables, wind hasn’t been in the picture, taking a back seat to solar and biofuels. Atlanta-based Southern Co., parent of Georgia Power, gets 2 percent of its electricity from renewables, which include hydroelectric power and solar.

“We’re not going to produce wind energy here, but these parts have got to be made somewhere, and from the governor’s point of view, it should be done in Georgia,” said Brian Robinson, a spokesman for Gov. Nathan Deal.

Southern and its subsidiaries have agreed to buy electricity from wind projects in South Carolina and Oklahoma, but currently no turbines spin in Georgia or off the coast.

Actually, all renewables are taking a back seat to nuclear, “21st century coal”, and natural gas through fracking, according to Thomas A. Fanning, CEO of Southern Company. Solar and wind? Maybe “one day”, maybe next decade, again according to SO CEO Fanning. You’d think the mighty AJC would know these things.

Has anybody looked into what sort of campaign contributions Nathan Deal received from electric utilities? Or maybe there’s some other reason his spokesman is proclaiming “We’re not going to produce wind energy here” and Georgia is the only Atlantic state not working with the U.S. Department of Interior’s Atlantic Offshore Wind Energy Consortium.

This Georgia foot-dragging is going on while there’s plenty of wind just off the Georgia coast and only a little bit up the coast Google is investing heavily in offshore wind.

How do we even know there’s no technology that would work for onshore wind in Georgia if the state government and the biggest electric utility in the country are not willing to consider any sort of wind generation in Georgia?

We do know there is plenty of potential for solar power inland in Georgia, but Southern Company is blocking much of that, too. How about we elect Public Service Commissioners and legislators who will change those things?

-jsq