Gwinnett Daily Post | EVERETT: Conservative principles guide decision making on solar power

In July, the Public Service Commission requested that Georgia Power, our largest electric provider, add 525 megawatts of solar to its generation portfolio. It led to one of the most contentious debates the Commission has seen recently.

Three criteria that must be satisfied before I will vote for additional solar power. First, no new monopoly service provider is created; second, no upward pressure on rates is exerted; and third, nothing violates the Territorial Services Act, which divides responsibility for serving electric customers among providers.

This is why I joined Commissioners Chuck Eaton and Stan Wise in supporting two amendments to ensure that Georgia’s consumer ratepayers and businesses are protected from upward pressure on electric rates.

The first requires an independent monitor oversee procurement of solar power under the program to ensure that ratepayers are protected. The second requires that any solar power added under the new program be approved by the PSC and does not put upward pressure on electric rates. These two amendments ensure that no extra costs will be imposed on Georgia’s families as a result of this program.

Upward pressure is a term used to recognize that many factors ultimately affect rates, and no single factor causes rates to go up or down.

Today, the greatest cause of upward pressure on electric rates is the Obama Administration’s EPA, with its war on coal and unpredictable environmental standards exert an unprecedented upward pressure on energy costs. Solar power, deployed conservatively, and with procedures in place to contain costs, can hedge against the financial risk caused by federal regulation.

via Gwinnett Daily Post | EVERETT: Conservative principles guide decision making on solar power.