Under the revised program, the standard green energy, large volume purchase and special events purchase options remain unchanged. In addition to these changes, the PSC also approved Georgia Power raising the solar capacity cap under its renewable non renewable (RNR) tariff from 1.5MW to 2.5MW. The company will also purchase solar energy from customers through this tariff at a new price of 17 cents per kWh.
Georgia Power and PSC worked together to develop a mechanism that will raise the solar capacity cap as participation in the green energy program grows. Under this mechanism, for every 219 blocks of green energy that are purchased by customers, Georgia Power will purchase an additional 100kW of solar energy through the RNR tariff.
Angela Strickland, director of energy efficiency and conservation at Georgia Power, said: “With the latest changes in our Green Energy program we hope to make solar energy more attractive to our customers. The new mechanism we’ve developed will ensure that we’re keeping pace with customer demand for solar in a cost-effective manner.”
Electricity generated for the green energy program helps grow the renewable resource base in Georgia and the southeast and expand the market for renewable energy credits (RECs), the company said.
RECs are created when a renewable energy facility generates electricity or uses renewable fuel. Customers who purchase RECs through the green energy program are paying for the benefit of displacing other non-renewable sources from the electric grid.
Changes to Georgia Power’s redesigned green energy program and RNR tariff will go into effect from June 1, 2010.
