Dive Brief:
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The Georgia Solar Energy Industries Association (GSEIA) has asked the Georgia Public Service Commission to enforce an order requiring Georgia Power to have 100 MW of solar power under contract by year-end 2016, according to SNL Financial.
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GSEIA claims that Georgia Power is missing the 100 MW target by about 35 MW, and the utility stopped evaluating and awarding projects on Sept. 30.
- Georgia Power responded to GSEIA, calling the group’s allegations, "misinformation and conjecture," according to the outlet.
Dive Insight:
Georgia Power, through an unregulated arm, launched its Advanced Solar Initiative (ASI) program in 2015. Under the program, Georgia Power evaluates the solar potential of a home and, if applicable, outsources the contractor to install solar panels.
As of June, the unregulated entity, Georgia Power Energy Services, was reported to have installed only five residential solar systems despite getting over 10,000 inquiries. A utility executive told attendees at the Edison Electric Institute conference this year that most of its solar installation activity as taking place at the utility-scale level.
SNL reports that since Georgia Power launched the ASI program, it has evaluated 395 projects with an aggregate capacity of 303 MW. From those, 106 MW were disqualified because they would have required more than $10,000 in upgrades to connect to the grid. Another 35 MW of projects were withdrawn and 11 MW were disqualified.
In its response to GSEIA, Georgia Power said it “is very close to completing the evaluation of all MW submitted for consideration and exhausting the reserve list as it continues its attempt to fill the full 100 MW portfolio of the ASI-Prime DG program.”
