Expensive Solar in Georgia

Georgia Power is installing solar collection systems and customers should be protesting. Like public transit, solar installations are a bad deal. The equipment expense is outrageous.  Solar equipment costs are too high and solar doesn’t work where the sun don’t shine.

AJC, 2/17/19 article, “Solar power joins the mix: More set to flow in Atlanta” cites that Georgia Power is installing 600,000 solar panels on 2000 acres in Twigs County, 100 miles south of Atlanta. Georgia Power is planning to close its 5 Coal burning Plants over the next 20 years.

If Georgia Power replaces its 5 Coal Plants with Natural Gas, we will see a modest increase in our electric bills and will be using our huge US natural gas resources.

If Georgia Power tries to replace these Coal Plants with Solar and Wind, we are screwed and our electric bills will increase by 500%.

The production costs associated with the creation of electricity are well known. Solar and Wind production costs are 14 cents/kwh.  Coal and Nuclear production costs are 2 cents/kwh. Using Natural Gas to produce electricity costs 3 cents/kwh. More solar and wind will increase our electric bills.

Coal and Nuclear have “waste disposal problems”. Nuclear likely has unworkable federal regulations for construction and operation and spent fuel rod storage is a pain. Coal Plants need to solve the “Coal Slurry” waste disposal problem, but if this can be accomplished, coal is our most cost-effective option.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader