Green Power EMC expanding with new facility

ATHENS-Green Power EMC, the largest renewable energy provider in Georgia, is growing its portfolio with the addition of a 115 kW solar facility in Athens. The facility will bring Green Power EMC's total renewable generation to almost 25 MW.

Green Power EMC joined forces with industrial real-estate firm ROOKER Company and renewable energy solutions provider First Century Energy to build the solar project. Located on the 12,000 square foot rooftop of a new industrial building in Athens, the facility will be one of the largest solar photovoltaic arrays in the state, providing 3.5 million kWh of solar energy to the power grid over its projected 25-year lifetime. It is expected to become operational by October 1, 2010.

"We are always looking for innovative and cost-efficient ways to add to our renewable generation resources," says Michael Whiteside, president of Green Power EMC. "This partnership is a great example because building distributed solar power generation on the rooftops of commercial buildings means the transmission lines are already in place and there are little to no additional infrastructure costs to the utilities."

In 2010, approximately 1.6 million EMC-member households across Georgia will have more than 120 million kWh of renewable energy available to them through Green Power EMC's mix of biomass, solar, and low-impact hydro generation.

"Green Power EMC, along with all of Georgia's EMCs, has taken a leadership role in developing, implementing, and promoting renewable energy throughout the state," says Whiteside. "We are excited to add the Athens solar project to our portfolio as we continue to deliver on our commitment to expanding renewable resources in Georgia."