Behind the Tea Party Push For Solar in Georgia
Wednesday, July 17th, 2013
In many regions in the country, conservative politicians view solar power as an unwarranted extension of government regulation.
In Georgia, it’s the other way around.
An unusual coalition of conservative law makers, solar advocates, tea party members, the NRDC and the Sierra Club have made Georgia a new bright spot in the U.S. solar market. Earlier this month, for instance, the state’s Public Service Commission voted 4-1 to required Georgia Power to obtain 525 megawatts of solar for its operations by 2016.
The ruling is the latest event in what has been a loud, two-year fight. But what makes Georgia’s solar fight different is that solar advocates aren’t just selling solar as a way to reduce emissions or reduce fossil fuels. Solar has been positioned as a property rights issue pitting private citizens against utilities, regulators and fixed rates of return.
