You won’t have to mortgage the farm to install solar power if this bill passes,
because you’ll be able to get
reasonable financing.
Update 2015-02-07: HB 57 was favorably reported out of the
House Energy, Utilities & Telecommunications Committee 28 January 2015,
first time such a bill has ever cleared that hurdle.
The actual solar leasing bill in the Georgia House as of 14 January 2015
is
HB 57 “…to provide for financing of solar technology by retail electric customers for the generation of electric energy to be used on and by property owned or occupied by such customers or to be fed back to the electric service provider”, aka the “Solar Power Free-Market Financing Act of 2015.”
It includes the same old generation limits from the 1973 Territorial
Electric Service Act (10 Megawatts per individual and 100 MW per company),
but it blows a huge hole in the prohibition on power purchase agreements (PPAs).
Georgia Power and the Electric Membership Corporations have reportedly
already agreed on this bill.
If so, it should sail through the legislature.
Still, it won’t hurt to call your Georgia House member and ask them to vote for it,
and maybe become a co-sponsor.
Here’s PDF
of the bill, and
here’s the key provision: Continue reading →
Fireball above Boomer, WV; Photo credit: Deslyne Copening
