Georgia Power, at the prodding of a state energy regulator, has led the state’s solar boom over the past five years. Photo credit: Georgia Tech Research Institute Over the past five years, Georgia has become one of the nation’s leading states for solar power, but it didn’t get there in the usual way. It doesn’t offer tax credits, and the legislature has never created a state renewable portfolio standard requiring utilities to sell renewable energy. There is no net-metering law to let solar homes sell excess energy back to the grid at retail prices. Instead, an early Trump supporter who leads the state’s Public Service Commission has been pushing Georgia Power, the state’s largest utility, to invest in clean energy by ensuring that solar is included in the utility’s long-term power plans, updated every three years. Lauren "Bubba" McDonald, Jr., saw other states moving toward solar, looked at Germany’s record-setting solar investments, and concluded that Georgia was being left behind with its focus on nuclear and coal. He wasn’t going to let it stay there. McDonald could have more solar support joining him on the regulatory commission soon. Solar advocates expect a voter backlash this fall against the all-Republican, […]
How Georgia Became a Top 10 Solar State, With Lawmakers Barely Lifting a Finger

Latest Articles
Circular business model lessons from IKEA, REI and Eileen Fisher
Ikea, REI and Eileen Fisher are banking on a circular model to propel them into the next era of commerce.//Images by Graeme Dawes,...
Thames Water hopes to harness human ‘poo power’ to heat homes
Thousands of homes in south-west London could soon be warmed by the waste from their local sewage works as part of England’s first...
Adorable goat playground raises awareness of upcycling waste
NOMAD architects and Karina Aramanda have transformed wood waste into GOT WASTE?, an educational pavilion and animal playground that raises awareness about the...
Green renovation to a ’50s California home features recycled denim insulation
A private residence in San Anselmo, California has received a green renovation with some unique features. Designers from Pfau Long Architecture expanded the...
Seville’s plan to turn oranges into electricity
Spanish engineers have updated the old citrus cliché, bringing it into the eco era — when life gives you oranges, make electricity. In...
Global Recycling Day: an International Recycling Movement
It’s easy to think of recycling only on a local level, such as what goes in the household recycling bin or when is...