Tag Archives: 18 December 2012

Industrial Authority working for solar in south Georgia @ VLCIA 2012-12-18

The Industrial Authority is working to find locations for some of the 210 MW Georgia Power got the PSC to shift from biomass to solar back in September. That’s a good next step.

Jason Schaefer wrote for the VDT 23 Dec 2012, Solar power push has Authority working to establish connections,

Since the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) approved Georgia Allan Ricketts, Projects and Existing Industry Manager, VLCIA, 2012-12-18 Power Company’s plan Nov. 20 to add 210 megawatts of solar power to its electrical grid, the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority has been devising strategies to draw solar energy producers to South Georgia.

Georgia Power will issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) from solar energy collection and production companies in early 2013, according to the PSC, and the company will contract with the lowest bidders to purchase their energy and place it on the Georgia Power electrical grid for public consumption.

Georgia Power plans to add 90 megawatts to its grid from distributed generation (small companies producing between 100 kilowatts and 1 megawatt), and 120 megawatts of large utility-scale projects producing up to 20 megawatts each. The company plans to price the solar energy at $0.13 per kWh for distributed generation and up to $0.12 per kWh for utility-scale projects, according to the PSC.

This government-approved commercial push for solar energy could be a boon to sunny South Georgia as well as the greater Valdosta area specifically, and the Authority is prepared to accommodate the solar energy producers they expect.

Andrew Schruijer, Executive Director, VLCIA, 2012-12-18 “I think there’s a very good possibility of solar energy coming to South Georgia,” Executive Director Andrea Schruijer said. “Possibly in the near future.”

There’s more in the VDT story. It’s pretty much what Col. Ricketts also told me after the VLCIA meeting Tuesday a week ago. He asked me if I knew what “distributed” meant. I pointed out Georgia Power’s version of distributed was actually not very distributed, compared to Continue reading →

Education at Wiregrass Tech and startup funding, Chamber quarterly luncheon @ VLCoC 2012-12-18

Education at Wiregrass Tech, startup competition and awards by Guardian Bank, and more! Chamber president Tim Jones invited me to the quarterly luncheon of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce, held 18 December 2012 at the Rainwater Conference Center. I counted about 70 people there, and only maybe a dozen were Chamber board and staff, so that was a very well-attended meeting.

Keynote speaker Dr. Ray Perrin, president of Wiregrass Technical College said:

“Strong education systems are the heart of economic development.”

He congratulated VSU on the recent football win, as well as the various other local school systems, government bodies, and businesses, and proceeded to give an overview of what Wiregrass Tech is and what it does, which includes everything from automobile repair to computer science; from adult education for high school equivalency to advanced courses, in the eleven counties it serves, through the campuses in Valdosta, Fitzgerald, and Adel, as well as at Moody AFB and online overseas. He noted that changes in the HOPE scholarship and economic improvement had decreased enrollment, but Wiregrass Tech still has a large student body and is adding programs, such as in nursing and respiratory therapy. Plus a 97.5% placement rate.

Also in the plans is an Allied Health Education building 100,000 square foot facility that would cost about $20 million, for which Wiregrass Tech will be approaching the Georgia General Assembly in the next few years. Dr. Perrin invited feedback and requested assistance, both financially and in getting the word out about what Wiregrass Tech can do.

Tim Jones remarked that he was also on the board of the Wiregrass Tech Foundation which was in a fundraising drive, so anybody who wanted to donate could see him. (And it turns out you can also donate online.)

Here’s a video playlist of the entire meeting, followed by a few notes.

Continue reading →

Same old agenda at VLCIA tonight @ VLCIA 2012-12-18

According to their website (but curiously not their facebook page):

VLCIA logo The Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority’s Regular Monthly Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, December 18, 2012, 5:30 PM at the Industrial Authority Conference Room, 2110 N. Patterson Street.

I mentioned to a VLCIA board member Friday that the agendas never changed, except for the dates for minutes of previous meetings and of financial statements. I really must apologize! This one also differs from last month’s agenda in three more ways:

old Executive Director’s Report-Allan Ricketts on behalf of Andrea Schruijer
new Executive Director’s Report- Andrea Schruijer
old Adjourn General Meeting into Executive Session
old Adjourn Executive Session into General Meeting
old Adjoujrn General Meeting
new Adjourn General Meeting

That’s right: apparently Andrea Schruijer is in town this time, there’s no scheduled Executive Session, and a typo is fixed.

However, they didn’t change any of the lists of existing or prospective businesses, or meetings attended, or changes to the website, or acreage owned. Because the agenda never lists any of those things, nor anything else of substance. While that sort of secrecy was perhaps useful in trying to sneak in a private prison and a biomass plant, I wonder if it really helps attract high tech business like Richmond County or attract a solar park like Decatur County?

Here’s the agenda.

-jsq

Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority
Agenda
Tuesday, December 18, 2012 5:30 p.m.
Industrial Authority Conference Room
2110 N. Patterson Street
Continue reading →