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.

According to the Herald, Florida is one of 47 states that allow net metering, where households and businesses that produce extra power sell it back to the grid at a set rate. Consumer-generated solar power adds green power to the grid and reduces transmission costs. Solar also adds the most power when it’s needed – during the hottest part of the day.

“The opportunity for Georgia’s Public Service Commission is to learn from the overwhelming support of rooftop solar in Florida and make net metering an integral part of the Georgia Power Integrated Resource Plan,” said Don Moreland, Executive Director of the Georgia Solar Energy Association (GA Solar). GA Solar is the state’s oldest and largest organization devoted exclusively to promoting the benefits of solar energy through education, advocacy and industry support. “Monthly net metering credits any surplus solar energy created by rooftop solar users against their monthly power bill, unit for unit.”

Rooftop solar is good for the environment, and the economy, Moreland added. “Rooftop solar applications to Georgia Power have skyrocketed since 2019 – up 320% in 2020 and 863% in 2021. We quickly met the cap of 5,000 customers in that program. The desire for rooftop solar is huge in our state.”

Rooftop solar users invest in their own infrastructure, reduce the amount of power needed from fossil fuels and add more green power to the grid. This reality is far from the myth of solar shifting costs to non-solar users. “The big utilities are making unsubstantiated claims about consumer-generated rooftop solar,” Moreland said. “There is no cost-shift with rooftop solar; the claim is false. Monthly net metering equalizes the cost of power no matter who is generating that power. More green energy that makes America energy-independent is good for everyone.”         

About GA Solar

The Georgia Solar Energy Association (GA Solar) is the state’s oldest and largest organization devoted exclusively to promoting the benefits of solar energy through education, advocacy and industry support. GA Solar informs local and state leaders about policies that make the benefits of solar accessible to all, helps solar professionals stay abreast of the latest news, trends and standards, and promotes the economic and environmental benefits of solar energy to individuals, businesses and communities statewide. For more information, please visit www.GASolar.org.