The Georgia Public Service Commission (Commission) today took another step in the expansion of solar energy in our state with the unanimous approval and certification of ten solar power purchase agreements (PPA) for the Georgia Power Company. These projects will add more than 515 megawatts (MW) of solar generation to the Company’s energy mix. The approval of these PPAs is part of the Company’s 2015 and 2016 Advanced Solar Initiative (ASI) Prime and its 2015 ASI in Docket numbers 38877 and 39028. After the completion of these projects, Georgia Power will have nearly 900 MW of solar energy on line by the end of 2016.

“This Commission continues to lead way in new solar generation, which will produce jobs and savings for consumers,” said Commissioner Lauren “Bubba” McDonald. 

“These projects will move Georgia forward in adding solar energy to our energy portfolio without putting upward pressure on rates,” said Commission Vice-chair Doug Everett.

Commissioner Tim Echols added, “Georgia is doing solar different than California, Arizona and Germany with our emphasis on utility scale projects,” said Echols. “We didn’t subsidize nor require power companies to reach some lofty percentage of generation—and as a result the market will actually put downward pressure on rates.”

The ASI-Prime portfolio consists of the following projects which total 438.67 MW:

· Decatur Parkway Solar Project, LLC

· Butler Solar, LLC

· LS-Pawpaw, LLC

· White Pine Solar, LLC

· White Oak Solar, LLC

· Live Oak Solar, LLC

The term for most of these PPAs is 30 years and the projects are expected to be online either by the end of 2015 or 2016.

The projects in the ASI which total 76.58 MW are:

· Decatur County Solar Project, LLC

· Hecate Energy Old Midville Road, LLC

· Solar Glynn, LLC

· Butler Solar Farm, LLC

The term for these projects is 20 years and these projects are expected to be online by the end of 2015.All of the above projects were initiated as a result of the 2010 and 2013 Integrated Resource Plans (IRP) which Georgia Power submits every three years for Commission action.

The Commission also approved a solar energy project between Georgia Power and the U.S. Navy to initiate a 30 MW solar project at King’s Bay Naval Submarine Base near St. Mary’s, Georgia in southeast Georgia. This project is also scheduled to come on-line in 2016. This project is based upon capacity from the recently cancelled Plant Mitchell conversion to biomass.