GEORGIA UTILITY BUYING BIOMASS

Oh, the irony. Georgia Power has been building its renewable electricity-generating capacity (now up to 80 megawatts) by signing deals with biomass plants. Its parent company, Southern Power, has been leading the fight in Congress against a national Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) that would require utilities to generate 15% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020 – on the grounds that southeastern states don’t have adequate renewable resources.

Georgia Power apparently disagrees. Why? Georgia Power: “In 2006, the Georgia Legislature passed House Bill 1018 which exempts biomass from fuel sales and use taxes, thereby making it more cost competitive with traditional fuels. Additionally, in a series of studies, the Georgia Forestry Commission was able to clearly demonstrate the energy potential for wood biomass in Georgia.”

In other words, Georgia legislators were educated on the potential of New Energy and passed incentives to develop them for the economic benefit of the state. A national RES is nothing less than the same thing for the whole nation.

Georgia and the Southeast are rich in biomass resources. (click to enlarge)

Aside: Most articles on power generation describe 1 megawatt as capable of powering 250 homes. This one adds that 1 megawatt is “…enough energy to supply a Wal-Mart shopping center…”

Georgia Power adding renewable energy
January 14, 2008 (Atlanta Business Chronicle via Yahoo Finance)
and
Georgia Power contracts with renewable plant
Lynn Wallace, January 14, 2008 (Georgia Power)

WHO
Georgia Power, the largest of 4 utilities that make up Southern Power; Yellow Pine Energy Company LLC

WHAT
Georgia Power contracted to purchase renewable power generated from wood waste from Yellow Pine Energy.

Georgia Power took a good hard look at its options and then went into action. (click to enlarge)

WHEN
The Yellow Pine Energy 110 megawatt plant will start generating power in 2010. The contract runs 20 years.

WHERE
The Yellow Pine Energy plant will be located in Fort Gaines, Georgia.

WHY
- The wood waste used to power the Fort Gaines plant will be from sources like timber harvesting residuals, collection of non-commercial tree species, tree-thinnings, lumber scraps and waste reclaimed from landfills.
- The 50 megawatts generated at the Yellow Pine Energy plant brings Georgia Power’s biomass-generated renewable electricity capacity to 80 megawatts, the result of 5 contracts with providers.
- Georgia Power buys renewable energy from more than a dozen providers.

Perhaps the most impressive feature of Georgia Power's progressive effort is the contrast with its parent company's luddite recalcitrance as demonstrated by Southern Company's energy mix. (click to enlarge)

QUOTES
- Oscar Harper, vp-resource planning, Georgia Power: “Renewable energy continues to be a growing and important part of Georgia Power’s overall generation mix…By seeking proposals for wind or solar resources, we hope to continue to expand and diversify our renewable portfolio to meet the growing needs of our customers.”