Renewable Energy

We support the development of renewable energy technologies that provide reliable and affordable energy. However, the truth is, at this time, many renewable resources (wind, solar, biomass, etc.) are just not sufficient to meet the energy needs of our state. Renewable energy accounts for less than five percent of the energy available in Georgia.

• Because many renewable energy technologies are still being developed and refined, they are substantially more expensive than coal on a per-kilowatt hour basis. Wind and sun may be free, but generating power from them is not.
• Wind technology requires substantial land use or use of offshore waters. Wind turbines also require wind to produce energy – if there is no wind, there is no energy production. In addition, in Georgia, there is just not enough sustainable wind for it to be a viable source of energy.
• Solar technology requires a substantial capital investment that makes energy generated from it more expensive overall and solar panels require special disposal when their useful life has expired. Unlike the southwestern part of our country, the solar intensity and availability in Georgia is not very conducive to solar energy systems.
• Biomass generating plants generally must be located near the fuel stocks (within a 50-mile radius) upon which they depend, making them feasible primarily in remote areas - far away from communities with high electricity demand.
• Electricity produced with biomass still involves combustion. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, most of today's biomass power plants are direct-fired systems that are similar to most fossil-fuel fired power plants.
• Other renewable energy technologies have drawbacks of their own, are currently more expensive, and are not sufficient to meet Georgia’s power demand.

Current Initiatives

• EMCs in Georgia are exploring all sources of energy including solar, wind, landfill methane gas, natural gas and poultry-litter-to-energy to ensure a reliable energy supply.
• Green Power EMC - Many of the co-ops in this project participate in Georgia’s Green Power EMC and make green energy available to members. Power generated by Green Power EMC helps meet peak demand but is not sufficient to meet base load demand.

Planned Initiatives

• Photovoltaic Rebate Program - Photovoltaic, or PV for short, is a solar power technology that uses arrays of photovoltaic cells to convert light from the sun directly into electricity. Typical PV systems in Georgia can offset up to one-third of the average member’s annual electricity usage. Soon the EMCs will be offering a PV Rebate Program in which participating EMCs will offer a rebate to those members who choose to install qualifying solar PV systems at their homes. This rebate is designed to help members offset a portion of the installed cost of the PV systems.
• Carbon Offset Program - Soon, some EMCs will be offering a Carbon Offset program in which their members can calculate the carbon footprint of their homes and automobiles and then offset their footprint by purchasing carbon credits from the EMC. The carbon credit purchase goes towards the planting and maintenance of pine forests here in Georgia.