Macon Company Wants To Become State’s First Regulated Solar Utility

Two of five members of the Public Service Commission – Lauren “Bubba” McDonald and Doug Everett – joined CEO Robert Green at a press conference to announce the plan. Green said by taking advantage of cheaper equipment and low financing rates, ratepayers could save billions by using solar on a large scale.

“When you can take out the cost of coal, you remove the cost of burning that coal, and you remove the environmental externalities of it, that’s a lot of money, as opposed to a bunch of solar panels sitting on a farm churning out electricity,” said Green.

Earlier this summer, Green’s company proposed building a huge solar farm near Macon and selling the electricity to Georgia Power, the state’s regulated electricity provider. Georgia Power declined, saying it wasn’t in the best interest of ratepayers.

Green now wants to directly compete with Georgia Power. He argues the electric provider hasn’t done enough to capitalize on the state’s immense solar capacity.

“Georgia Power has had a long time to decide to go and make meaningful actions towards solar. It just hasn’t happened. And that’s what we’re after.”  

Green’s company faces considerable hurdles.

Under a 1973 state law, Georgia Power controls all large-scale solar development in the state. Any change to that would likely require both regulatory and legislative action.

While declining to comment on the legal aspects of Georgia Solar’s filing, Georgia Power spokesman Mark Williams said his company will continue to develop solar options in a responsible manner for its customers.  

“We don’t want to do anything that is going to cause rates to go up for our customers but if it is something that is cost-effective and does make sense, we’re very interested in doing that.”

Georgia Power is expected to present to state regulators a new plan to expand its solar footprint next week.