Statement from SELC and SACE on Georgia Power’s Withdrawal of Solar Tax

The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) and Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) applaud Georgia Power’s decision to withdraw its proposed solar tariff as part of a settlement agreement filed Monday with the Georgia Public Service Commission. SELC represented SACE in the rate case to advocate against the proposed tax as an unjustified and punitive measure on customers who deploy solar to offset their electricity consumption.

If approved, the solar tax would have represented a step backward from the Georgia Public Service Commission’s recent support for investments in money-saving solar. Rather than crippling Georgia’s budding solar industry through unjust taxes, Georgia Power should conduct a full, fair, and transparent evaluation of the many benefits solar provides. Customers making the significant investment required to “go solar” can then receive appropriate credit for the benefits they provide to all customers in the form of grid stability, reduced energy costs, and other benefits.

For more information on why the proposed solar tariff would have impeded Georgia’s ability to take full advantage of its abundant solar energy potential, click here.