Clean Energy News

“Today Georgia’s journey towards a Clean Energy Economy took a wrong turn. A notice from the Air Branch of the Environmental Protection Division (EPD) announced the issuance of draft pollution permits for Plant Washington, a coal fired power plant that has been proposed in Washington County. 

Almost equally as troubling was the EPD’s decision to limit public hearings on the permit to Sandersville when the effects of Plant Washington will show up as air pollution or mercury infested fish hundreds of miles away.

The announcement comes on the same day as an energy efficiency report release by Georgia Tech that shows how energy efficiency could entirely offset the need to expand electric generation capacity in the South through the year 2020 (full report at http://www.spp.gatech.edu/faculty/workingpapers/wp51.pdf) and a day before the kick-off of the Georgia Solar Energy Association’s Solar Summit.

We are disappointed that energy and utility companies in Georgia continue to sink more money into outdated and dirty energy sources like Plant Washington.  We could create more jobs and not pollute our air and water resources by embracing energy efficiency and renewable power like solar, wind and biomass.  Unemployment in our state is at an all time high and we need to get Georgia back on the path to a Clean Energy Economy.”

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More information on the permit can be found at --http://www.georgiaair.org/airpermit/html/permits/psd/dockets/plantwashington/index.htm)

Environment Georgia is a statewide citizen funded non-profit environmental group, more information can be found at www.EnvironmentGeorgia.org