Videos of the morning part of the 18 June 2013 Georgia Public Service Commission Administrative Session, which was mostly about two Georgia Power dockets on closing coal plants and future energy, plus a telecommunications rules docket.

First they had a lengthy devotional on Joseph sold into slavery to the Egyptians (Georgia Power probably didn’t like being referred to in that manner). There was a sign posted outside the door: do not enter; devotional in progress.

Chairman Eaton finally started the meeting with a Consent Agenda. Commissioner McDonald immediately interrupted by recognizing staff about a visit the previous day by 14 people from around the country; he thinks this PSC ranks in the top five in the country. The consent agenda passed unanimously. I don’t know what was in it, since no agenda was available to attendees. There’s something GA PSC could do to improve: supply an agenda. Another would be to video their own meetings. They do audio streaming on the web, but not video.

Two telecommunications dockets were first on the Regular Agenda; see separate post.

The first items related to Georgia Power were about Docket: 27488 2013-2015 RFP. First was a renewable proxy waiver request recently received from Greenway Renewable Power, Item 148229:

Filed Date: 6/3/2013
Received Date: 6/3/2013
Company Name: Greenway Renewable Power, LLC
Description: Request for Waivers Concerning Renewable proxy contract with Georgia Power Company.

The Commission unanimously approved staff’s recommendation, although the chairman was unsure that staff even made a recommendation (the recommendation was to approve the waiver).

Another Docket 27488 item,

148422, Green Power Solutions LLC, Request for Waiver to Collateral Security and Amendment to Contract for the Purchase of Firm Capacity and Energy from a Renewable Qualifying Facility

was also approved unanimously.

The Commission fiddled with some dates on their Administrative Affairs consent agenda, approving the changes unanimously. Then they adjourned that part of the session.

The main event: Docket # 36498: Georgia Power Company 2013 IRP Filing. Chairman Eaton said it was an application for decertification of Plant Branch units 3 and 4, Plant McManus 1 and 2, Plant Kraft 1,2,3,4, Plant Yates 1,2,4,5, and Plant Boulevard 2 and 3. That’s 14 coal plant units. Before intervening parties, they started with public witnesses.

First public witness about the GA Power 2013 IRP: GA Rep. Rusty Kidd district 145, who argued for more solar power, noting Blant Branch closing would have substantial economic effect on Putnam County. See separate post.

Update 20 June 2013: Next up was the start of the Putnam County delegation; see Putnam County Manager wants solar to replace coal and Georgia Power’s Plant Arkwright site still unused 11 years later.

Update 21 June 2013: Bill W. Sharp, Vice Chair, Putnam Development Authority wants Georgia Power to make good economic use of its water permits for Lake Sinclair. Putnam County Commissioner Billy Webster asked GA PSC to ask Georgia Power to help Putnam County make good economic use of the Plant Bowen site. Somebody (maybe Putnam County Commissioner Alan Foster) asked for geothermal and net zero and also mentioned a golf course.

Update 21 June 2013: Next the WWALS Watershed Coalition delegation from south central Georgia spoke up. Garry Gentry read the WWALS letter to the PSC.

Update 28 June 2013: John S. Quarterman explained how baseload capacity power generation is like telephone company circuit switching twenty years ago, and just as the Internet’s packet switching won in the end, solar power plus wind through a distributed grid would ensure even the night doesn’t last for an entire month.

Update 29 June 2013: Jill Stuckey said Georgia Southern is ready, willing, and able to help with wind power.

Update 7 July 2013: Lots of emphasis on efficiency, conservation, and water, in addition to solar and wind. Nobody asked for more nukes, coal, or natural gas.

• EarthCents has taken a lot of power bill mystery away –a contractor
• Increased investment in demand-side reduction –a homebuilder
• More solar, less nuke cost overruns –Glenn Carroll
• It is not enough to add a little solar and wind on top of fossil and fission fuels –a German
• Re-evaluate Plant Vogtle and move to wind and solar power –Courtney Hanson

More will be added here.

Here’s a video playlist of the entire morning:

Videos of GA PSC on Georgia Power coal plant closings
Georgia Power proposed closing of coal plants,
Administrative Session, GA Public Service Commission (GA PSC),
Doug Everrett (1: south Georgia), Tim Echols (2: east Georgia), Chairman Chuck Eaton (3: metro Atlanta), Stan Wise (5 north Georgia), Bubba McDonald (4: west Georgia),
Video by John S. Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
244 Washington Street SW, Atlanta, GA, 30334-9052, 18 June 2013.

-jsq

Short Link: