ATLANTA — This week, the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) voted to approve a plan from Georgia Power to buy about 80 megawatts of power that will be produced using biomass as fuel. The PSC approved the plan despite Georgia Power officials acknowledging that the cost of the electricity generated using biomass is higher than other energy sources.
In response, Sierra Club Georgia Chapter Director G Webber (they/them) issued the following statement:
“The PSC’s decision in this case is bizarre. PSC members who approved this proposal lauded it for benefitting the state’s timber industry, but it is not the responsibility of the PSC — or Georgia Power customers — to prop up logging companies. Georgia is home to the largest solar panel manufacturing facility in the western hemisphere, but supporting those jobs has never been a factor in past PSC decisions.
“Sourcing electricity from biomass is not the least expensive option for ratepayers, as PSC member Tim Echols has stated multiple times this week. It is not the cleanest option, as biomass releases more climate-altering pollutants than burning coal. It is not the most reliable fuel source, as according to the SELC, 90% of Georgia Power’s biomass portfolio was unavailable during Winter Storm Elliott in 2022. It will not provide a backstop for other fuel sources: 80 megawatts represents about 0.36% of Georgia Power’s stated 22,000 megawatts of total system capacity.
“Ultimately, the PSC voted to approve this proposal for the same reason as always: Georgia Power gets whatever it wants. Biomass is a dirty, expensive, and unreliable energy source, and once again, Georgia Power customers will have to foot the bill for another abhorrent PSC decision.”
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.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Ricky Leroux, Communications Strategist
404-607-1262 ext. 234 | ricky.leroux@sierraclub.org