MACON - A group of electric membership corporations, including Jackson EMC, hopes to offer customers the chance to purchase electricity produced by methods such as wind and solar power by next winter.
Also in northeast Georgia, Habersham and Sawnee EMCs plan to offer the option.
Georgia Power, the largest energy provider in the state, also has plans to unveil options for so-called ``green power'' by the end of the year.
Green power, which also includes production by burning methane gas from landfills and use of hydroelectric dams, produces little, if no, pollution.
Coal-fired power plants produce dirty emissions that can lead to poor air-quality conditions affecting human health.
Natural gas, the choice for new energy production, is cleaner than coal, but also produces pollution.
Hydropower requires large stretches of rivers for damming, and in Georgia there are few places like this left, Georgia Power officials say.
``We feel the market is going to demand (renewable energy) before it's over with,'' said Raleigh Henry, general manager of Lamar EMC.
Lamar and 12 other EMCs have completed enough market studies to know the demand is there, Henry said, and they are willing to begin offering such options.
They have formed Green Power EMC, which hopes to have constructed three landfill methane plants in Georgia by the fall.
Georgia Power says it will purchase electricity created by solar power, wind and methane gas from other providers.
One such option is the Tennessee Valley Authority, which unveiled its own green power program more than 18 months ago. The TVA program is under expansion as demand for it quickly outpaced production.
The trend toward renewable energy sources indicates increasing cooperation between environmentalists and utilities, said Stephen Smith, executive director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy based in Knoxville, Tenn.
The alliance helped create TVA's green power program and is now working with Georgia.
``There is a struggle between the groups to work together and gain support,'' Smith said. ``Both programs are working to gain accreditation, and they need environmental support to do that.''
Dan Hart, vice president of Green Power EMC and partner Coweta-Fayette EMC, said any energy produced by renewable sources in Georgia is still only a drop in the bucket.
The Green Power initiative is looking at 13 megawatts of power from green sources, Hart said.
``But we plan to put money into research so we can expand to solar and wind power in the future,'' he said.
``This program only grows to the extent we grow our customer base. If there is more demand for more generation, then we'll bring it online,'' Hart said.
Thursday
September 12th, 2024
10:12PM
