Georgia Power, the largest electric subsidiary of Southern Co., says it will continue to expand renewable energy in Georgia through its new Customer-Connected Solar Program (CCSP), a 25 MW distributed generation customer-sited program.
Working with the Georgia Public Service Commission on the program design, the commissioners gave their approval in May.
“We are excited to offer programs that help renewable energy grow and thrive in Georgia,” says Wilson Mallard, director of renewable development for Georgia Power.
“This program will provide a new renewable energy option for participating customers, while also benefitting all of our customers by continuing to expand our state’s diverse energy generation resources,” he adds.
Georgia Power will purchase 100% of the solar energy generated by directly paying the customer. Renewable energy credits (RECs) will be retired by Georgia Power on behalf of participating customers, allowing the customer to claim the renewable benefits of the local solar energy.
The CCSP program will accept applications on a first-come, first-served basis until the 25 MW AC portfolio is filled, or until January 2022, whichever comes first. Customers can choose agreement terms between 10 and 30 years and projects can be sized from 1 kW up to 3 MW AC. The average price ranges from 4.3-6.7 cents/kWh.
The company also encourages customers who are not eligible to participate in CCSP to consider additional renewable programs such as Georgia Power Community Solar and Simple Solar. Community Solar gives residential customers who subscribe the opportunity to earn an energy credit on their bill based on actual solar energy production at Georgia Power’s Community Solar facilities. The Simple Solar program is a solar REC purchase program available to all customers that allow participants to claim solar benefits for either 50% or 100% of their energy usage.
Through programs and projects developed in coordination with the PSC, Georgia Power is committed to maintaining a diverse generation portfolio while providing all customers with renewable energy options. With more than 1,625 MW of solar capacity currently online, the company touts an extensive voluntary renewable portfolio. Through continued development of CCSP, as well as other solar projects and programs, Georgia Power expects to add up to 1,400 MW of additional renewable capacity by the end of 2021.
Photo: Georgia Power’s Customer-Connected Solar Program web page