ATLANTA — Today, the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) approved a proposal from Georgia Power to build three turbines at Plant Yates near Newnan that will burn oil and gas to generate electricity for decades to come.
In response, Sierra Club Georgia Chapter Director G Webber (they/them) issued the following statement:
“Georgia Power claims these oil and gas burning turbines are essential for meeting the rise in electricity demand, but they will take more than two years to build, and that’s assuming the project doesn’t see the same delays that Plant Vogtle experienced. Solar power is clean, affordable, doesn’t put customers at risk of volatile fuel prices, and can be brought online much faster. Georgians are struggling to pay their electric bills, and adding more dirty fossil fuels to our energy mix is only going to make things worse for Georgians now and in the future. Shame on the PSC for selling out our future and approving this dirty project.”
Maggie Shober, Research Director from the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy added:
“Families and businesses are already bearing the burden of high bills fueled by Georgia Power’s fossil fuel bonanza, and these new turbines at Yates will continue to increase bills as fuel costs rise and these plants become stranded assets. Instead of taking the time to consider lower cost and less risky options like energy efficiency, solar, storage, and transmission solutions, Georgia Power has put profit over its customers and rushed into this project.”
About the Sierra Club Georgia Chapter
The Sierra Club Georgia Chapter is the largest grassroots environmental organization in the state, with more than 75,000 members and supporters. The Chapter supports a robust outings program and has active committees working on forest and coastal protection, transit expansion, and clean energy. For more information, visit sierraclub.org/georgia.
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit sierraclub.org.
About the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
Since 1985, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy has worked to promote responsible and equitable energy choices to ensure clean, safe, and healthy communities throughout the Southeast. Learn more at cleanenergy.org.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Ricky Leroux, Communications Strategist
404-607-1262 ext. 234 | ricky.leroux@sierraclub.org
Amy Rawe, Communications Director, SACE
865-235-1448 | amyr@cleanenergy.org