For More Information:
Don Moreland, [email protected], c-703-475-3228

Atlanta, GA – New testimony filed by the Georgia Solar Energy Association shows that expanding a solar program managed by Georgia Power to just 3% of customers would create 2,422 new jobs and help customers reduce electricity bills by over $75 million per year through energy savings and grid-efficiency improvements.

Georgia Power’s monthly-netting pilot program which provides credits to homes and businesses for the solar energy they push back onto the grid, was capped to just 5,000 customers by the Public Service Commission in 2019. The program became over-subscribed within two-years, and added more customer-owned solar energy in Georgia than the previous 20-years combined.

The solar energy industry currently employs 5,341 Georgians. Georgia Solar Energy Association’s testimony, authored with support from Greenlink Analytics, indicates that an expansion of the pilot program to 80,000 customers will add another 1,477 jobs directly to the State’s solar industry and 945 indirect jobs. In polling released earlier this year, 80% of all Georgians supported the expansion of the monthly netting program.

As a part of Georgia Power’s rate-case filing, the company seeks to prohibit the addition of new customers into the monthly-netting program, to charge customers a new $200 fee to add solar energy systems to their homes and businesses, and to increase utility rates by 12% over the next two years. 

GA Solar is partnering with HeatSpring to provide online training discounts to the GA Solar community.

HeatSpring is an online educational platform for professionals specializing in renewable energy, green building, and technologies that address our changing climate. Since launching in 2006, HeatSpring has been on a mission to provide professionals the knowledge and real-world skills they need to continue making positive change in the world. 

HeatSpring instructors are industry experts, who are actively working in real-world jobs, developing and teaching top-notch curriculum for the HeatSpring community of knowledge seekers. 

Of HeatSpring’s 220 active courses, 141 of them are totally free. Some of those free courses are Introduction to Agrivoltaics, Solar Power 101, Solar Development on Brownfields & Landfills, Utility-Scale Solar PV and Distribution Voltage Challenges, Qualifying Commercial Solar Leads & Projects, and many more.

Dear Georgia Solar Members and Friends,

Last week’s IRP decision from the Georgia Public Service Commission was a mixed bag for the solar industry in Georgia. While we applaud the approval of 2.3 GW of new renewable capacity over the next three years, we are very disappointed in the failure of the Commission to advance an important and overwhelmingly popular policy for rooftop solar in the state. 

On Thursday, July 21, the Georgia Public Service Commission failed to advance a motion to expand the popular “monthly netting” program to 75,000 Georgia Power customers. The motion, put forth by Commissioner Echols and seconded by Commissioner McDonald, failed 3-2. 

We need your support to help Georgia Solar advocate for the expansion of Monthly Netting for all Georgia utility customers. Can you chip in $10 to support solar energy in Georgia?

Expanding this program would have allowed more Georgians to receive fair billing for the solar energy that they generate and supply to the distribution grid. It would have also given crucial support to a rapidly growing industry that employs thousands of Georgians. 

Georgians have spoken clearly, and they want more flexibility to adopt solar energy.  A recent poll found that an overwhelming majority (80%) of Georgians favor expanding the monthly netting program. 

For Immediate Release July 5, 2022

Poll: Georgians are concerned about electricity rate hikes and see solar as part of the solution. 
Eighty percent agree that the popular “monthly netting” program should be expanded. 

ATLANTA, GA — A new poll released [today] revealed Georgians are highly concerned about anticipated increases in their utility bills and see expanding local solar as part of the long-term solution. The poll also shows Georgians overwhelmingly support expanding a popular program that gives customers more credit for energy sent to the grid. This survey, providing state-wide data on how likely voters view rooftop solar, is sponsored by Georgia Solar Energy Association.

State-wide, the poll found that 74% of Georgia voters expressed concern about their personal utility bill increasing over the next year.  Almost half (45%) said they are “very concerned”. A solid majority (63%) feels that expanding local solar energy will help keep future utility costs lower in Georgia. When asked if the popular Georgia Power “monthly netting” program should be expanded, an overwhelming 80% said it should. 

What can Georgia PSC learn from Florida governor’s veto?          
  (Psst: It’s good news for green power)

ATLANTA, May 18, 2022 – As Georgia’s Public Service Commission continues hearings on the Georgia Power Integrated Resource Plan, commissioners should look south for guidance on rooftop solar.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed a bill that would have increased exponentially the costs for installing and using rooftop solar power. Support for the veto was “overwhelming,” according to the Miami Herald. “DeSantis received 16,809 emails, letters and phone calls opposing the net metering bill. The number in support: 13,” said the article.

The Georgia Solar Energy Association (GA Solar) announced Don Moreland as new executive director of the nonprofit. GA Solar was established in 2008 and is the oldest and only non-profit based in Georgia focused solely on growing a thriving solar industry in the state.

“We are thrilled to have Don, a longtime collaborator and solar champion, at the helm of GA Solar,” said GA Solar board co-chair Jennette Gayer. “Don will help grow the rooftop solar market and our organization to new success.” 

Moreland, an attorney, and owner of Solar Crowdsource, served as the nonprofit’s chair of board of directors 2017-2018 and chair of its policy committee 2021-present. He fills the recently unoccupied position as the organization implements a plan for strategic growth to bring more value to its members and engages in important solar energy legislation before lawmakers now at the state capitol and critical proceedings at the Georgia Public Service Commission later this year. 

“I am honored to have the opportunity to serve GA Solar in a new capacity during such an important year for solar energy in Georgia. GA Solar is the oldest and most well-established solar advocacy organization in Georgia and should play an important role in consumer protection legislation and provide more opportunities for every-day Georgians to participate in the new clean energy economy,” said Moreland. 

Moreland started working in the Georgia solar industry in 2011, first developing utility-scale solar projects and now owner of Solar Crowdsource, a company that has presided over 14 “Solarize” programs and facilitated over 1,000 solar installations across Georgia including Savannah, Macon, Athens, and Atlanta. A native Georgian, Moreland was born in Decatur, GA and grew up in Marietta, GA. He holds a juris doctor degree from Quinnipiac University in Connecticut and a bachelor’s degree from Georgia State University. 

GA Solar was deeply engaged in behind-the-meter (BTM) solar energy legislation in this year’s legislative session. There were several bills that together would significantly remove regulatory barriers, protect consumers, and increase access for Georgia residents. Unfortunately, none of these bills made it out of committee before crossover day. The various bills can be organized in three categories: (1) consumer protections, (2) monthly netting, and (3) miscellaneous as outlined below.

Although none of these will make it to the Governor’s desk, they outline a terrific agenda for next year. GA Solar will be working throughout 2022 leading up to the next legislative session to advocate for another slate of solar-friendly legislation. Click here to learn more about how you can support GA Solar and donate here.

Consumer Protections

• HB 966 by Representative Thomas of the 65^th
  • to require that retail consumers view a solar awareness presentation prior to purchasing certain solar technology
  • Provide for the PSC to develop such solar awareness presentation and to promulgate certain rules and regulations
• HB 1494 by Representative Gullet of the 19^th
  • To require certain disclosures prior to the sale or lease of distributed energy generation systems
  • To require a companies installing solar energy systems to be licensed as an electrical contractor

Outcome: HB 966 was included in HB 1494 which GA Solar supported. HB 1494 made it further than any other bill in this list passing unanimously out of the EUT committee but stalled in House Rules and did not get a vote in the full House before crossover day.

Monthly Netting

• HB 1083 by Representative Ed Setzler of the 35^th
  • To clarify “monthly netting” in the Georgia Cogeneration and Distributed Generation Act of 2001 to be monthly.
  • To require that fees imposed on solar customers meet certain criteria;
  • to expand the state-wide cumulative limit to a larger percentage of each utility's annual peak demand;
  • to provide the commission with the authority to determine the appropriate credit available once the existing credit limit is reached

Outcome:  assigned to the EUT committee, had a subcommittee hearing; stalled in subcommittee

This June GA Solar held our sixth annual Women in Solar Energy (WISE) event. As an organization we recognize the need for  more women and people of color in our solar community. In 2019 the Solar Foundation researched diversity in our industry and found that women and African Americans are both underrepresented in the solar workforce and identified a wide gender gap in pay, advancement, and job satisfaction.

Our WISE event addresses this challenge head on and shines a light on women making a difference in Georgia’s solar landscape. We’ve also given out NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners) scholarships that pay for the  NABCEP PV Installation Professional Certification Exam fees of women interested in breaking into our industry and offer networking and mentorship opportunities to up-and- comers.

This year's WISE event highlighted two policy makers who have proposed legislation that, when passed, will help grow the solar industry in a major way. Senate Minority leader Gloria Butler and Senator Kay Kirkpatrick are co-sponsors of SB 299, The Georgia Solar Freedom Act. The Senators spoke on a panel about their support for solar from job creation to resilience and increased energy choice and diversity.

The panel was hosted by our own Jennette Gayer, co-chair and Director of Environment Georgia and Theresa Garcia Robertson, Executive Director of Conservatives for Clean Energy Georgia Chapter.

To close the program a surprise guest, Abby Ross Hopper, the CEO of the Solar Energy Industry Association joined the webinar to give GA Solar’s 2021 Woman in Solar award to Jonnell Carol Minefee of Solar Tyme USA. 

Jonnell is the managing partner with Solar Tyme USA based in Columbus GA and has been on the board of GA Solar since 2016. Since joining the board she has, often single handedly, kept the Women in Solar event going and is a tireless advocate for women and people of color in the solar industry.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Georgia Solar Slowdown as Georgia Power Program Reaches Cap

Atlanta, GA – The rapid adoption of solar energy systems by Georgia home and business owners under Georgia Power’s ‘Monthly Net Metering’ program is about to grind to a halt and could threaten solar jobs in the state. When the Public Service Commission established the program in 2019 it placed a cap on the number of customers that could benefit from monthly netting. That cap has now been reached and it happened much more quickly than anyone anticipated. 

“For the first time in state history, Georgia Power customers with solar panels on their homes or businesses can get full credit for energy exported to the utility,” said Montana Busch co-Chair of the GA Solar Energy Association (GA Solar) and CEO of Alternative Energy Southeast, headquartered in Athens. “This policy has helped to create hundreds of new jobs in one year. If the PSC’s cap stands we will lose many of these good paying jobs”.

Monthly Net Metering is a basic utility policy which credits solar customers at the retail rate for the solar energy fed back into the grid, required in Georgia’s 2001 Co-Generation and Distribution Act. An analysis provided by the Southern Environmental Law Center shows monthly-net metering as an industry-standard utility solar policy.  Under Monthly Net Metering, customers essentially get credited the full retail value of their solar (up to their monthly usage) instead of the wholesale rate (⅕ of the avg. retail rate) Georgia Power previously credited for all solar exports.

Georgia Power’s monthly net metering program was created as a part of the 2019 Public Service Commision (PSC) Rate Case with the support of GA Solar. The Public Service Commission added a cap of 5,000 customers or 32MW of capacity, whichever comes first. Under this program, rather than instantly crediting a customer's excess solar generation at wholesale prices, the utility uses excess solar power to offset consumption, thereby further reducing the customer's bill. 

“The pilot monthly net metering program has been a big success for Georgia Power customers and the growing solar industry” said Russell Seifert, CEO of Creative Solar USA in Kennesaw Georgia “We’ve been in the State for 13 years and the adoption of the monthly net metering program for Georgia Power was a signal to us that Georgia was finally becoming a mature solar market. Now isn’t the time to put a cap on Georgia’s solar opportunity. Neighboring southern states already have many times more than Georgia Power’s 5000 customers with on-site solar: South Carolina with over 20,000; Florida with almost 60,000.”

Georgia’s Solar Industry has added dozens of new companies and thousands of new solar installations under the program in 2021. Now that the caps have been met, Georgia Power customers interested in solar energy will only be able to recoup wholesale power costs from excess energy they produce.  If the Public Service Commission does not extend the program the Georgia Solar Energy Association warns that hundreds of solar jobs are at risk as companies re-evaluate their presence in the state.

The 2021 Georgia General Assembly (GGA) concluded with the solar industry introducing Senate Bill 299. The bill has cleanup language for the 2001 Cogeneration Act and the 2015 Solar Free Market Act to increase profitability for solar companies and increase affordability and access for consumers. SB 299 also opens up more solar opportunities for net metering (aka "monthly netting"), churches, and nonprofits.

The 2021 GGA session was extremely light on introduced legislation given the COVID-19 budget impact. The next biggest item was HB 150 and its companion bill, SB 102. The bill would prohibit governmental entities from adopting any policy that prohibits the connection or reconnection of any utility service based upon the type or source of energy or fuel. It passed both chambers and is headed to Governor Kemp’s desk. A silver lining: it also keeps local governments from preventing solar or any other fuel/energy type.

The last real bill of interest was SB 213, relating to contracts and purchases by public schools, so as to provide for payment on guaranteed energy saving contracts by local school systems using proceeds from local option sales taxes collected for educational purposes; to provide for phased implementation of energy or operational cost savings measures. It has passed both chambers and is headed to Governor Kemp’s desk for signature.

Other solar and clean energy related bills:

• HR172, Smith, House Study Committee on Georgia Utility Facility Safety Improvements; create
• HR211, Evans, Governor; join United States Climate Alliance; urge
• HB388, Mainor, Atlanta Technology and Energy Enhancement Authority Act; enact
• HB449, Smith, Georgia Utility Facility Protection Act; revise
• HB482, Lim, Ad valorem tax; property; provisions
• HB483, Frye, Property owners' associations; creating or enforcing covenants which infringe upon a lot owner's right to install a solar energy device; prohibit
• HB576, Rhodes, Education; payment on guaranteed energy saving contracts by local school systems using proceeds from local option sales taxes; provide

Senate Bill 299 would remove barriers to solar energy that advocates say will help create thousands of new jobs.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Atlanta, GA (March 18, 2021) — Georgia Senate Rules Chairman Jeff Mullis dropped Senate Bill 299 this week, a bill to improve the regulatory environment for solar and remove barriers to economic growth. "Georgia's solar industry is ready to fuel major economic growth across the entire state for years to come", says Montana Busch, Co-Chairman of the Georgia Solar Energy Association. "Senate Bill 299 helps remove barriers to solar energy that have held rooftop solar energy back from growing thousands of new jobs for Georgians and will create a level playing field for solar to compete in a free-market fashion". 

"Georgia's solar power resources can be an economic engine for every corner of Georgia" says Busch, "by clarifying the existing laws, SB 299 helps to take the shackles off Georgia's sun to benefit every business, home, school, and houses of worship in the state while growing thousands of new, good paying jobs in the process".

Georgia currently ranks Top Ten in installed solar energy capacity with enough solar energy to power over 300,000 homes, making up just 3.4% of the State's electricity coming from solar. Solar energy currently employs 4,900 Georgians, and in 2019 Georgia had the highest percentage solar jobs growth amongst all states (30%). Currently, less than 4% of all solar installed in Georgia is owned by consumers where the energy savings generated directly benefits business owners, homeowners, schools, and houses of worship. In some neighboring states that same figure is more than 20%. Passage of SB 299 will eliminate critical barriers to customer-owned solar energy and give greater access to the financial benefits of solar to more Georgians. 

Follow the Georgia Solar Association on Twitter or on Facebook, or visit their website at www.gasolar.org/.

The Georgia Solar Association is a 501(c)3 organization established to benefit Georgia energy consumers by advocating for solar power in Georgia. Comprised of leading experts in solar manufacturing and installation, academia, finance, and the law, GA Solar is leading the effort in Georgia to promote the economic and environmental benefits of solar energy through education, advocacy, and industry support.

March 13, 2021 By Bill Nussey

Natural gas was the biggest contributor to the Texas grid outage of 2021

Clean energy became one of the hottest topics in the US in early 2021. This was, in part, thanks to the new administration’s climate-focused cabinet picks and their overall emphasis on clean energy. Sadly, the biggest clean energy headlines in February came from Texas, which experienced one of the worst power outages in recent US history. Seventy people lost their lives. Four million people lost power, some for many days.

Unfortunately, the efforts to understand how this happened and how to prevent a repeat devolved into political finger-pointing. Texas Governor Greg Abbot went on TV to make the case that solar and wind were to blame for the outages and that fossil fuels are the only reliable way to power electric grids. Conservative political leaders and talking heads echoed this message across the media in an attempt to slow the growth of clean energy

The fact is that nearly every type of power plant fell short during the Texas outage, including nuclear, coal, natural gas, and wind. But it was natural gas, by far, that contributed to the power plant failures that ultimately took down so much of the grid. The frustrating part of this needless debate is that the facts are not in dispute. The hour-by-hour status of Texas’ grid is a matter of public record, freely available from both state and federal sources. To show just how obvious this is, I downloaded the grid power plant mix for a few days before and during the outage and created this simple graph.

A few things are immediately clear from this graph:

Virtual Solar Day at the Capitol

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Atlanta, GA (March 11, 2021) — Nearly 75 advocates from across the state attended the Georgia Solar Energy Association’s (GA Solar) Solar Energy Day at the Capitol virtually to highlight the importance of the solar energy industry to Georgia’s economy and quality of life. Solar leaders from around the state engaged decision makers and stakeholders such as Georgia House Energy, Utilities, & Telecommunications Chairman Don Parsons, 2015 Free Market Solar Act sponsor and Lieutenant Governor Policy Director Mike Dudgeon, and Representative Kim Schofield. 

GA Solar’s policy committee shared broad policy priorities and two specific pieces of legislation (HB 483 and HR 70) with attendees as well as tips and strategies to help constituents reach their legislators. HB 483 (Frye) would make it easier for homeowners interested in solar but facing opposition from their Homeowners Association to move forward with an installation. HR 70 (Schofield) is a resolution in favor of a 100% clean and renewable energy by 2050 goal in Georgia.

“We were thrilled to have so many advocates take part in GA Solar’s Virtual Solar Energy Day at the Capitol,” said Montana Busch, Co-Chairman of GA Solar. “Home grown solar energy has become part of the fabric of Georgia and we appreciate the engagement from our state leaders. The economic impact of the solar industry on Georgia is substantial and we want to highlight the solar industry’s contribution as we make energy policy.”

People who were unable to attend Solar Energy Day are encouraged to reach out to their legislator and inspire them to learn more about the positive impacts of solar energy.  For more information, visit www.gasolar.org/.

Follow the Georgia Solar Energy Association on Twitter or on Facebook, and subscribe to their e-newsletter.

Letter from the Chair:

The association has continued working steadily to help Georgia’s solar industry reach its full potential. I am honored to work alongside the members of this board, many of whom volunteer several hours of their time on a daily basis. Every hour worked is one small step closer.

We recently held the annual board planning retreat which happens every January. Many thanks to Colleen Kiernan and Kate McGreggor-Mosley for their excellent facilitation skills that made the retreat efficient and productive. 

This is a big year for our Policy Committee. The political climate has never been better for solar at both the state and federal levels, and we plan to take full advantage of it. I am not allowed to say much at this time for strategic reasons, but I promise we will share more details in the coming weeks. Be sure to attend GA Solar's first Solar Energy Day at the Capitol event on March 9th, 2-4PM!

Lastly, I wanted to share that many solar companies have reached out to us regarding delays and recent changes to Georgia Power’s RNR application process. We researched the issues and tried to resolve them directly with Georgia Power to no avail. This issue has now been filed with the Georgia Public Service Commission as an official complaint. We will share updates on this critical issue to the growth of solar when they become available. 

In solidarity,

As we wrap up perhaps the most heartbreaking year in memory, so many of my (virtual) conversations revolve around our hope that 2021 will be a happier, healthier one for all, the solar industry included.  For that to happen, we need more than hope.  We need a vision of a brighter future, a roadmap to get us there, and some measurable steps we can take toward a better tomorrow.  

Like me, you likely embrace solar because of that ‘better tomorrow’ a solar world could bring. A solar future means a world free of polluting tailpipes and power plants, a huge new clean energy workforce and people empowered to save money by generating their own energy via rooftop or community solar arrays.

Looking back, despite a tough 2020, Georgia Solar continued to move the needle towards that bright solar future--with our allies we pushed for and won a victory that will help ensure more solar owners receive fairer compensation for the clean energy they generate. We held our fifth annual Women in Solar Energy event to lift up underrepresented Georgians in our industry and we continued to offer a place for Georgia’s solar community to gather (albeit via a zoom square).

Looking forward, we have big plans to share the vision of a bright solar tomorrow further than ever before. We are also working to plot the roadmap that we’ll need to get there into programs, policies and steps that we can pursue in 2021. We hope you’ll join us.

To a brighter future!

Jennette Gayer

By:  Montana Busch, GA Solar Co-Chairman

Hopefully this letter finds you well during these uncertain times. What a year it has shaped up to be. GA Solar, like most organizations, has had to find new ways of interacting with our members. While we haven’t been able to host as many events this year I am proud to say we have had several well attended virtual events. In the Spring, we hosted a webinar to highlight details of the Monthly-Netting victory that GA Solar has fought many years for. In the Summer, we hosted our annual Women in Solar Energy event virtually with Commissioner Pridemore as the Keynote speaker. We will also be hosting a virtual holiday event this year. I look forward to the time when we can all get back together in person again!

GA Solar has been able to maintain regular bi-monthly board meetings and the committees continue working to accomplish their goals. The Policy Committee is preparing a strong agenda for the 2021 Georgia Legislature as well producing new resources for solar consumers. The Events Committee is currently working on a year-end virtual event in lieu of our usual Holiday Luncheon. The Education and Membership Committee along with the Communications Committee went through a lull due to losing several key members. Thanks to the help of new board members those committees have recently begun meeting with renewed vitality and are strategizing how to grow and engage our membership as well as gain more funding. We continue to make ourselves available to answer the many questions we get from calls and emails. There’s also a new ad hoc committee meeting weekly to work on a new initiative we’ll be announcing in Q1. Lastly, the Executive Committee continues to meet regularly to discuss various aspects of the organization and set the agenda for the board meetings.

I personally believe 2021 will be a great year for solar power in Georgia. There are several great Federal solar policies currently being reviewed by Congress and with a little bi-partisan support the solar industry can continue its historic growth that we have witnessed over the past decade. The future of solar is BRIGHT!

Many, many thanks to all who continue to support GA Solar.

Thanks to the participation of PSC Commissioner, Tim Echols, PSC Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Manager, Jamie Barber, and Southern Environmental Law Center Senior Attorney, Kurt Ebersbach we were able to learn a few things that we didn’t know before the webinar. Below is a recap of the webinar including some things we learned and a few things we are still waiting for clarification on, video of the webinar in its entirety, and some FAQs that help clarify some nuances of the new compensation program. 

What we learned: 

• Georgia Power customers that were on the Renewable Non-renewable tariff (“RNR”) prior to January, 1 2020 will begin to see credits on their bill in July and retroactive to the January billing cycle. Customers that switch to RNR will begin to see credits on their bill in July and retroactive to when they switched. 

• Customers on a Time-of-Use (“TOU”) rate plan will receive peak-hour credit for generation exported during peak hours.

By Thatcher Young, Velo Solar

I know for many this is a time of true hardship and in some cases pain both personally and professionally, and I want to acknowledge this reality. For all those who are suffering, scared and uncertain of the future, my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

Almost more than any other industry, Solar has seen more than its fair share of volatility.  I often think we should look to Nostradamus rather than the solar press for predictions of our future.  So, in the current crisis I want to take a moment to paint an optimistic picture of how our industry emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since I couldn’t get Nostradamus on the ouija board; I turned to the analytics firm McKinsey for a glimpse into a more hopeful future. In their recent analysis “Addressing climate change in a post-pandemic world,” they explain how COVID will likely realign priorities and perspectives for the better:

“Furthermore, addressing pandemics and climate risk requires the same fundamental shift, from optimizing largely for the shorter-term performance of systems to ensuring equally their longer-term resiliency.” 

“We can already start seeing how the coronavirus pandemic may influence the pace and       nature of climate action, and how climate action could accelerate the recovery by creating jobs, driving capital formation, and increasing economic resiliency.”

By Montana Busch, Alternative Energy Southeast

Information on the COVID-19 stimulus packages has been coming out rapidly. So far Congress has passed three pieces of legislation and there are talks of a fourth and fifth coming. For our members who may be having a hard time keeping up with all this we wanted to provide a high-level overview and let you know where to get the details. There are eligibility requirements and other limitations for these programs that we won't get into here. This is not legal or financial advice.

COVID-I -- The Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act was enacted on March 6^th and provided funding for the EIDL (Economic Injury and Disaster Loan). These loans are provided by the SBA and they promise a $10,000 advance on the loan which does not have to be paid back if your application for the EIDL is denied. The entire state of Georgia is considered an eligible location as we are a hot zone for the virus. Click here for more information.

COVID-II -- The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) was signed into law on March 18^th and made active on April 1^st. It provides tax credits to employers who offer up to two weeks of paid sick leave and/or up to 10 weeks of paid family medical leave. Employers can claim this tax credit immediately for full reimbursement through reduced payroll taxes. Click here for more information.

COVID-III -- The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was enacted on March 27^th and brought the Paycheck Protection Program Loan (PPPL), tax relief and unemployment insurance expansion. The PPPL is a fully forgivable loan if the business meets certain requirements including keeping the same number of employees. The U.S. Treasury Department has advised businesses to apply for PPPL quickly because there is a funding cap. While the application was just released on April 3^rd, banks are saying they’ve already received an influx of applications. Lawmakers intend to add more funds to the PPPL in future legislation that is already in the works. To learn about the application for the EIDL or PPPL Click here.

The program, available to 5,000 Georgia Power solar customers or 32Mw, whichever comes first, will credit them at a higher rate for the energy they feed to the grid. This is made possible by what is referred to as “Monthly Netting of Energy.” Under this program, rather than instantly crediting a customer’s excess solar generation at wholesale prices, the utility will use it to offset consumption, thereby further reducing the customer's bill. That means residential solar customers could receive $400+ annually in additional savings over the current compensation formula.

Requirements, procedures and applications for the program are currently being developed.