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Study: Atlanta In Bottom Half Of Solar-Powered Cities

May 14th, 2014

Atlanta ranks in the bottom half of some of the country’s largest cities for solar power use according to a new study by the environmental advocacy group Environment America.As heard on the radio

Atlanta came in 36th out of 57 cities in the total number of solar power installations. It came in 34th in solar power per capita with six watts per person.

“There’s a huge opportunity out there, and I hope by next year, we’re certainly ranking higher. But I look at it as an opportunity,” said Jennette Gayer, who heads Environment Georgia. The group hopes to make solar power 10 percent of the city’s energy usage by 2030, but as of last year the city’s solar use totaled less than one percent.

The study, which was published last month, looked at the central cities of the country’s 50 largest metro areas. It also looked at the largest cities in states with significant solar use but that aren’t among the 50 largest metros.

In the Southeast, Raleigh, North Carolina; Jacksonville, Florida and New Orleans ranked higher than Atlanta.

City Councilwoman Natalyn Archibong said the report is a call to action for Atlanta to take advantage of its position along the Sun Belt.

“We’re becoming more efficient in terms of cost and in ways to actually install the solar panels than we have been in the past,” the councilwoman said.

Archibong said the city council is considering legislation to lease land at three landfills for solar farms and two sites at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport.

She said there’s not timeline for that legislation.