RN-T.com – Ga Power says closing coal plant won t make room for solar

ATLANTA – Executives from Georgia Power Co. rejected the idea Wednesday that closing a coal-fired power plant would open up capacity for generating electricity from solar panels.

They were responding to questions from Stan Wise, one of the five members of the Public Service Commission who will vote Thursday on the utility’s 20-year plan. Normally, plan approval is fairly routine when it comes up every three years, but this year, it has become the focus of debate about whether the state’s largest electric utility should rely more on renewable energy sources.

“I think this is so weighty that we had to have this to make sure that I knew all that I needed to know going into tomorrow,” Wise said.

Environmental groups have advocated for more solar since Georgia Power submitted its plan before months of formal hearings. In recent days, conservative organizations, including some affiliated with the tea-party movement, have weighed in – but on opposite sides.

The commissioners, who are the least known of Georgia’s statewide elected officials, have been bombarded by unaccustomed emails and phone calls. Both sides plan separate Capitol Hill rallies before the vote.

Commissioner Lauren “Bubba” McDonald is expected to propose an amendment to Georgia Power’s plan to require it to double the amount of solar generation it can access. Although that would still amount to less than 2 percent of all of the company’s generation, Wise notes that the utility already has 25 percent more capacity than it expects to use on its busiest day.

So, he invited company executives to discuss whether ending its contract for electricity with an Alabama Power plant would be a way to increase solar without adding to the expense of further over capacity.

Kyle Leach, Georgia Power’s director of resource planning, said conventional power plants are needed to step in when the sun isn’t shining. He said solar panels on the company’s headquarters skyscraper last summer only operated 80 percent of the daytime due to clouds and rain.

via RN-T.com – Ga Power says closing coal plant won t make room for solar.