The Georgia Public Service Commission is set to vote Sept. 17 on Georgia Power’s proposal to burn wood pellets and other organic materials to generate energy and has raised environmental concerns and high costs being passed on to customers.
State regulators heard testimony Thursday from Georgia Power officials about the utility company’s application to add 80 megawatts of biomass-fueled generation in the next couple of years. The PSC will vote next month on biomass purchasing agreements that include a 10-year contract with International Paper for a total of 8 megawatts of biomass from mill facilities located in Macon County and Chatham County. The largest proposed contract is a 30-year agreement with Altamaha Green Energy for 70 megawatts of biomass from its Wayne County facility.
Wood is still the largest energy resource for biomass, which is energy produced from plant or animal waste. Critics argue that wood burning plants produce inefficient, unclean energy and pollute vulnerable areas.
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