Chuck Eaton, Georgia Public Service Commissioner,
moderating a panel of Georgia’s Policy Makers at
Southern Solar Summit
said
Solar is great for diversity, independence, research, and business.He said that until recently he had discounted solar, but now he had seen it. Continue reading
Here’s where:
Residential Green Energy Signup.
You get a separate line item on your bill for whichever one you buy.
- Standard Green Energy Option: $3.50 (plus tax) a month per 100 kWh block.
This option delivers Green-e Energy certified renewable energy that is generated entirely by biomass.- Premium Green Energy with Solar Option: $5.00 (plus tax) a month per 100 kWh block.
This option delivers Green-e Energy certified renewable energy that contains a mix of at least 50% solar and 50% biomass energy.
Some people claim that there’s no way to do this because it’s just electrons once it gets on the wire. Sure, and money is just dollars once you spend it. But contracts can determine where those dollars go, and in exchange for what:
Due to the way electricity is transmitted and distributed, energy purchased or produced from renewable energy resources may not be specifically delivered to you. However, the renewable energy you purchase will be added to the power grid and will displace incremental power that would have otherwise been produced from traditional generating resources.So as Jaime Hockin advised, if you want to show you want renewable energy, and you are a Georgia Power customer, sign up and Georgia Power will hear you!
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learn it live is making the official video record.
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“When did our Marines become Birkenstock-wearing tree huggers?”This was after some Marines asked for solar power so they wouldn’t have to haul fuel in long convoys, which were among the most dangerous missions. Most of that fuel was going into very inefficient generators to run very inefficient air conditioners in tents in the desert. Dealing with that got the military thinking about energy security: assured access to mission-critical energy.
Looking up, he asked:
He identified America’s strategic center of gravity as its economy. It’s very resilient but has vulnerabilities open to attack. So how do we secure those vulnerabilities?“What is it we as a nation need to understand about our own energy security?”
The main vulnerabilities are: Continue reading
The Georgia Solar Energy Association (GSEA) is holding
a conference
Friday a week from today in Atlanta,
and you can still sign up at the advance rate today.
Sounds like a good place for networking potential projects.
Announcing Solar Summit 2011! Join utilities and policy experts from around the country as we present a full day of panel discussions and presentations on solar renewables. With the theme, “Solar Works in Georgia” GSEA will layout the roadmap for success in Georgia.Coffee starts at 7:45 AM, with the Welcome session at 8:15 and keynote speaker Col. Dan Nolan (USArmy Ret.) speaking at 8:30 on “The Military’s integration of Green Energy”.
Where: GTRI Conference Center- 250 14th Street, Atlanta, GA 30318 When: Friday, June 24th 8a-4p How: Tickets on sale now What: $79 before June 15th — EXTENDED TO FRIDAY, 6/17 $99 at the door
Another panel asks the question, “Will military and institutional adoption lead the way?” Hm, maybe municipalities should help pioneer solar with financing from banks and power companies.
Another panel notes, “A recent ASU study ranked Georgia 3rd in the nation for solar development potential.” That would be this study.
A wide range of speakers come from industry, military, finance, and government. Sounds like a networking opportunity. Maybe even a good place to pitch a municipal solar project.
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Steve Hargreaves wrote in CNNMoneyTech 14 June 2011, Google invests $280 million in SolarCity
Another financing method is Solar Mosaic, where people pool their money to buy shares in a solar installation.Google and rooftop solar power company SolarCity announced a $280 million investment deal Tuesday, the largest such deal for home-based solar power systems in the United States.
The investment will give San Mateo, Calif-based SolarCity the funding to build and lease solar power systems to a 7,000 to 9,000 homeowners in the 10 states where it operates.
Founded five years ago, SolarCity has 15,000 solar projects around the nation completed or under way. Customers who wish to have the company’s solar system installed at their home can pay for it outright, but most choose instead to let SolarCity retain ownership of the equipment and rent back the use of it through monthly solar lease payments.
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PS: This post owed to M.J. Kuntz.
Too bad they didn’t have solar, which would have provided peak power at peak load.Detroit officials intentionally cut power to city hall and a convention center Thursday to prevent the municipal power system from crashing from high energy demand — even though temperatures had tapered to the 70s after two days above 90. Equipment failures knocked out power to several other government buildings and traffic lights in parts of the downtown.
“Because there was a short window of time, we had to make a decision to take some of our customers off to prevent a blackout of the entire city,” Detroit mayoral spokeswoman Karen Dumas said.
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I’ve seen this before. AustinEnergy went in one year from solar isn’t an option to Continue readingTwo years ago, Southern Co. claimed “Renewable energy sources like wind and solar are not really an option for us in the Southeast.”
Now the new CEO, Thomas Fanning, says he’s “bullish” on solar. While the new attitude on solar is refreshing,
Danny Carter wrote in the Albany Herald 14 May 2011, Solar power meeting set: A solar power conference is scheduled for Tuesday in Albany.
We already did a smaller version of this, but what have we done since? Continue readingMAGE SOLAR, looking for both customers and installers, is hosting a program at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Albany Civic Center.
Susanne Fischer Quinn, communications manager for MAGE SOLAR, said there are just 13 certified installers of solar panels in Georgia.
The opportunity for growth in this area is tremendous, she said. Tuesday’s program will open with remarks by Jeff Sinyard, chairman of the Dougherty County Commission, and Albany City Commissioner Roger Marietta
Then, a panel of representatives from MAGE, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the University of Georgia will present information about solar power in Georgia.
Partly due to
MAGE SOLAR at Lowndes High School
(thanks, Jerome Tucker!), the Valdosta – Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce (VLCoC) has taken an interest in renewable energy.
ReKasa Deen,
Business Development Director,
already heads the Chamber’s
Opportunity Central:
The Valdosta-Lowndes Chamber is positioning Metro Valdosta as Opportunity Central with opportunities for business to grow and thrive, career opportunities for well-educated young professionals and opportunities for cultural interests and active lifestyles.
The key phrase I keep hearing from
VLCoC president Myrna Ballard
is
“knowledge-based businesses and jobs.”
As it says on a recent
Opportunity Central blog post:
New jobs follow bright and creative professionals…Ms. Ballard and Ms. Deen have repeatedly said they see renewable energy as a source of jobs for graduates of our local high schools and colleges.
What do they mean by renewable energy? Continue reading