Georgia Power Wins Approval for

Georgia Power Wins Approval for 'Green' Program

By Margaret Newkirk, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Mar. 17

Georgia Power can go ahead with its stalled "green" energy program under new rules approved by the state Public Service Commission on Tuesday.

The rules spell out a list of what can be marketed as green power, which comes from sources considered cleaner than standard sources.

The rules also give the PSC authority to waive those standards.

The decision means both Georgia Power and Savannah Electric Power can move forward with plans to sell the higher-priced alternative. Georgia Power's green program was supposed to debut last fall.

Under the rules adopted Tuesday morning, Georgia Power can market power from the approved list of sources or get a waiver if it wants to use a source not included on the list.

In order to get that waiver, it has to consult first with environmental groups it has worked with in forming green power guidelines but can approach the Public Service Commission on its own if that fails.

Georgia Power now estimates it will have green power to begin selling to consumers by early next year.

After announcing the program with fanfare last summer, Georgia Power and the environmental groups fell out in December, after the utility proposed using a Norcross landfill-gas-burning plant as its first source of green energy.

Under the pricing plan developed by the utility and the groups, customers would pay extra partly to develop green power sources that are new.

The state's electric cooperatives had been selling power from the Norcross landfill for a decade, at no extra cost to customers.

The company will now go back to its original plan to use power from a landfill-gas-burning facility still being developed.

For those willing to pay for it, Georgia Power's green energy product will cost 5.5 cents per kilowatt more than the 7 cents per kilowatt standard rate.

Commissioners approved the settlement with minimal discussion.

Chairman Doug Everett proposed an amendment that would allow wood from national parks to be included in the mix of fuels that can be burned to get green power.

Commissioner David Burgess congratulated the parties for negotiating one last time with each other late last month.

"I just hope we can get with the program now," he said. "We've been involved in this now for two years.

"The parties weren't listening to each other. I commend them for getting together again."

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