Third party financing law leads to Atlanta’s first city solar program

Atlanta became the first city in Georgia to commit to installing solar panels on public buildings with this week’s launch of Solar Atlanta, the city’s inaugural solar program.

The program will put solar panels on 28 municipal buildings, which are projected to reduce Atlanta’s carbon pollution emissions by 73 million pounds and save 216 million gallons of water through the year 2030, in addition to providing significant savings on the city’s electric bills.

Atlanta will finance the installations with no upfront costs to city residents thanks to the Solar Power Free-Market Financing Act of 2015, which became official this summer.

SELC and numerous other parties, including solar business interests, conservative lawmakers, other environmental groups, state utilities and organizations like the Georgia Property Rights Council and Georgians for Solar Freedom spent months collaborating on the legislation to allow for third-party participation in solar financing throughout the Peach State.

“Solar Atlanta moves the City of Atlanta one step closer to protecting our environment for future generations and toward our goal of becoming a top-tier city for sustainability,” said Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed in a statement. “Soon more than two dozen of our well-used community centers and public safety facilities will be powered in part by clean, affordable energy. With the Solar Atlanta program, the city will reduce our carbon footprint, conserve water, and demonstrate our commitment to our values.”

Click here to read more about Solar Atlanta in the Saporta Report