Category Archives: Nuclear

Ask Georgia Power to conserve our water –Garry Gentry for WWALS @ GA PSC 2013-06-18

Garry Gentry read the WWALS Watershed Coalition letter at the Georgia Public Service Commission meeting Tuesday 18 June 2013.

The recent rains have swollen our blackwater rivers, Withlacoochee, Willacoochee, Alapaha, and Little, under our longleaf pines and Spanish-moss-covered oaks, and filled up the tea-colored tannin waters in our frog-singing pocosin cypress swamps here in central South Georgia. But that was only a dent in our protracted drought that ranges from mild to extreme, with projections not much better….

There is no need to use our Floridan Aquifer water to build more baseload power plants while Georgia lags behind Michigan, Massachusetts, and even tiny New Jersey and Maryland in solar power.

WWALS calls on the PSC to ask Georgia Power to conserve our water and to bring jobs to south Georgia through solar power and wind off the Georgia coast.

You can read the complete letter. Here’s the video:


Ask Georgia Power to conserve our water –Garry Gentry for WWALS
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.

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Energy efficiency is cost-effective –Another @ GA PSC 2013-06-18

Someone made a very good case for the cost-effectivness of energy efficiency for saving money, health, and comfort, at the Georgia Public Service Commission meeting Tuesday 18 June 2013. He didn’t start by saying his name, and I had a camera battery replacement about that time, but most of his talk is here.

Here’s the video:


Energy efficiency is cost-effective –Another
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.

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Geothermal and net zero –Unknown @ GA PSC 2013-06-18

“I’d like to see Georgia Power… provide a geothermal and solar net zero energy concept for the project that could act as a demonstration project for them as well,” said someone unknown from Putnam County, at the Georgia Public Service Commission meeting Tuesday 18 June 2013. (This is why to always say your name when you speak.) Could have been Putnam County Commissioner Alan Foster. He also asked for a convention center, golf course, and lakefront activities area, and naturally at least one Public Service Commissioner latched onto the golf course. The speaker said his “vision” involved privatization. Seems to me the problem is the existing privatization of the GA PSC.

Here’s the video:


Geothermal and net zero –Unknown
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.

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Moving on and finances –Billy Webster, Putnam County Commission @ GA PSC 2013-06-18

“This year we’re not even going to be able to hold the line on the millage rate,” said Billy Webster, Putnam County Commissioner, at the Georgia Public Service Commission meeting Tuesday 18 June 2013. He wants Georgia Power to do something to help reinvent the Plant Branch property. He asked GA PSC to help Putnam County do that.

Here’s the video:


Moving on and finances –Billy Webster, Putnam County Commission
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.

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Water and Economy –Bill W. Sharp, Vice Chair, Putnam Development Authority @ GA PSC 2013-06-18

Bill W. Sharp, Vice Chair of the Putnam Development Authority noted Georgia Power had water permits and asked three things at the Georgia Public Service Commission meeting Tuesday 18 June 2013:

  1. Currently Georgia Power has a permit to use water from Lake Sinclair. We would ask to use this permit for the for the economic development of Putnam County.
  2. We would ask you to encourage Georgia Power to assist in bringing new industry to our area through their vast network of economic development.
  3. …commit to maintain the current full level of Lake Sinclair and Lake Oconee in order to continue the developments around the lake.

Chairman Eaton said the PSC was in a difficult position. Sharp said he understood business and praised Georgia Power yet again, but:

From our standpoint we’d like them to help us get on with life and make life better in Putnam County by helping us find this development. Let’s go out and create some new ideas. And they can do that. And we’d like you to encourage them with your power and your prowess.

Here’s the video:

Continue reading →

Putnam County Manager wants solar to replace coal @ GA PSC 2013-06-18

Putnam County sent a delegation to the Georgia Public Service Commission meeting Tuesday 18 June 2013. You’ve already seen Rep. Rusty Kidd; next up was the Putnam County manager.

County Manager Paul Van Haute said $175,000 in SPLOST money from Putnam County

Paul Van Haute, Putnam County Manager Unfortunately we had budgeted $275,000, so we’re about $100,000 a year short based on our estimates. That is directly attributable to the loss of coal sales from Plant Branch. Also on top of that we’re losing about $950,000 to $980,000 of property tax. That is about one seventh of our property tax receipts. This is a very big impact to the community.

About then he was interrupted by Chairman Chuck Eaton, who asked: Continue reading →

Videos of GA PSC on Georgia Power coal plant closings @ GA PSC 2013-06-18

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.

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)

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 Continue reading →

Rep. Rusty Kidd urged GA PSC to ask GA Power for solar to replace coal Plant Branch @ GA PSC 2013-06-18

First public witness about the GA Power 2013 IRP at the the Georgia Public Service Commission meeting Tuesday 18 June 2013. GA Rep. Rusty Kidd district 145, who argued for more solar power.

Rep. Rusty Kidd and GA PSC

Rep. Kidd noted coal Blant Branch closing Rep. Rusty Kidd and Press would have substantial economic effect on Putnam County. He said one of his friends was selling his house on Lake Sinclair because he knew Putnam County taxes would be going up. Rep. Kidd urged the Commission to have Georgia Power use the land of Plant Branch for solar energy. He also noted that the more coal plants that closed, the more natural gas would have a monopoly, and then he expected the price of natural gas to go up. So he concluded by urging GA PSC to have Georgia Power put solar power on the Plant Branch property in the near future.

Here’s the video: Continue reading →

GA PSC to require twice as much solar from Georgia Power? @ GA PSC 2013-06-18

Commissioner McDonald wants twice as much solar power from Georgia Power, Georgia Power execs testify before GA PSC while Commissioner Stan Wise asked questions leading to Georgia Power maybe saying that would cost more, yesterday at the Georgia Public Service Commission in Atlanta. Doubling from 271 megawatts planned to more than 500 MW would be good; at least that’s a start on catching up to New Jersey’s already-installed 1,000 MW.

Jacksonville.com reported today, Georgia Power tells regulators adding solar generation will cost consumers more: PSC Commissioner Lauren “Bubba” McDonald wants Georgia Power to double solar generation, Continue reading →

NRC to change foreign ownership so NRG and Toshiba can fire up South Texas Nuclear Project?

Not just EDF and Calvert Cliffs that would be enabled by the current NRC rule-changing comment period. In April NRC denied a license to NRG and Toshiba Corp. (aka Nuclear Innovation North America, or NINA) for two new reactors at the South Texas Project nuclear facility outside Bay City; the same facility where STNP 2 http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/2013/01/fire-in-texas-nuclear-reactor.html had a fire in January. The reason for denial was the same as for EDF and Calvert Cliffs: Continue reading →