Tag Archives: Lake Sinclair

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.

-jsq

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.

-jsq

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.

-jsq

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:

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Where would Georgia Solar Utilities Inc. get enough land for 80 MW solar generation?

Plant Branch in Georgia Where will Georgia Solar Utilities Inc. get the 2,200 acres it says it needs to build 80 MW of solar generation? Well, it’s supposed to be “adjacent to Georgia Power Co’s coal-burning Plant Branch near Milledgeville, Ga.”, so let’s look there.

Plant Branch Location Map A brochure on Plant Branch by Georgia Power (undated, but last date mentioned is 1998, so I’m guessing 1999) says:

Located on 1,900 acres on Lake Sinclair in Putnam County between Eatonton and Milledgeville, Plant Branch was the first million-plus-kilowatt electric generating station to operate on the Georgia Power system. It is named for Harllee Branch Jr., former chairman of the board of Southern Company and president of Georgia Power. Construction on the plant began in 1961, and by the summer of 1969, Coal pouring onto pile four units were in operation. The 1,539,000 kilowatts generated by Plant Branch provides enough electrical power for 342,000 households.

And now Plant Branch will be among the first to close coal-generating units. According to Melissa Stiers for GPB News 12 July 2011, Georgia Power Closing Three Plants,

Two coal fired units at Plant Branch in Milledgeville will close in 2013. That’s a result of federal regulation tightening air pollution controls. The company has said it’s too costly to upgrade those units.

Plant Branch across Lake Sinclair As we know, Georgia Power’s parent The Southern Company claimed it was incompetent to deal with the new EPA regulations even though it had already announced the Plant Branch closures (amounting to about 770 MW), and later SO announced 4,000 MW of coal plant closures.

While the various news stories keep saying Plant Branch is in Milledgeville, actually, it’s on the other side of Lake Sinclair, closer to Eatonville, Plant Branch site in Putnam County qpublic map and in Putnam County. A quick glance at the Putnam County Tax Assessor database maps shows that the land parcel containing Plant Branch is 913.87 acres, much of which isn’t actually used by the plant. And Georgia Power owns a total of more than 3,000 acres adjacent to that site. So I’m guessing the 2,200 acres figure is simply around 3,100 total Georgia Power acres minus 913 acres for the present Plant Branch site.

Estimates for land needed for a megawatt of solar power generation range Continue reading →