The Only Safe Prescription for the Health of All Georgians is Clean Energy

In Georgia, we are suffering from high power bills while hungry data centers are moving into our state, creating a massive expansion of energy needs. Georgia Power customer’s bills are on average $500 more per year than just two years ago. Energy efficiency and rooftop solar energy are cheap and safe ways to relieve our high energy bills and allow for energy growth that is safe for our health. Innovative solutions exist. Hospitals in other states help with generation: a Wisconsin hospital parking garage generates 1,000MWh annually. Rooftop solar from energy generated at Boston Medical Center is used to generated credits to reduce energy bills for those in need. Implementing rooftop solar, the cheapest energy source, on warehouses and in neighborhoods could decrease bills and is safer for Georgians because it creates no noise, soot, or carbon pollution and enables leaner infrastructure needs through power partnership programs.

Why are we not realizing our rooftop solar potential in Georgia? Currently only 7% of electricity in Georgia is solar generated. We rank 47th in solar per capita.  Only 0.4% of households have rooftop solar. Well, there are 5 elected officials that play a key reason why; two will be facing Georgia voters this year. The Georgia Public Service Commissioners (PSC) are the five elected officials that are supposed to ensure that Georgians have access to safe, affordable, and reliable electricity. These people regulate Georgia Power’s monopoly, and their decisions affect the health and economic stability of millions.  

The scientific and medical communities have been unequivocal: over 200 medical journals published that rising global temperatures from fossil pollution is the greatest threat to public health. We recently felt the effects of extreme weather with Hurricane Helene, which was made stronger and more powerful by climate pollution and resulted in many deaths, including one month old twins in Georgia. Its effects also contributed to a nationwide shortage of critically lifesaving saline. The PSC recently approved a rapid expansion of burning fossil fuels, including gas & coal, even though generating electricity from coal, as is done at Plant Bowen , emits soot (particulate matter) pollution that kills Georgians every year. Metro Atlanta already ranks 67th worst in the nation for ozone pollution. Georgia’s air quality will be worse with new methane gas infrastructure, particularly for the communities closest to these plants. We can even pinpoint areas with the highest rates of children being hospitalized in intensive care for asthma associated with soot and ozone pollution. 

Healthcare workers, have provided verbal and written comments to the PSC commissioners that the burning of fossil fuels is not safe for human health along with parents, concerned citizens, students and customers that are fed up with extremely high bills and want more clean energy.  The commissioners have openly belittled and dismissed these concerns and ignored the input of thousands of Georgians begging them to stop expanding expensive fossil fuels. 

Georgia’s current system allows the utility monopoly to profit from the expansion of burning of fossil fuels and to profit even more on hot days made worse by climate change. Meanwhile, high energy bills force Georgians to choose between necessities or having their power cut. Energy efficiency measures could help Georgians lower power bills, but were just reduced by the PSC. Recently, a rate freeze was announced for Georgians, but this does not include the $800 million in reconstruction costs for damage from Hurricane Helene. In contrast to Georgia, the Hawaii PSC set up a new regulatory framework that incentivizes the utility to both cut costs and achieve efficiency and clean energy targets. 

We can have a cleaner, cheaper, safer future, but we need PSC leaders that represent Georgians rather than the interests of a monopoly. This is your chance, Georgia, please take the time to vote. All Georgians can vote for two positions for the PSC by November 3.   

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