Georgia Power, one of the largest subsidiaries of the Southern Company, is seeking approval from the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) for its new solar initiative, the Georgia Power Advanced Solar Initiative (GPASI).
If granted approval, the initiative would lead to the establishment of the biggest voluntarily built solar power portfolio to be held by a utility that is investor owned. The GPASI would enable Georgia Power to establish contracts with three-year duration for procuring 210 MW of solar power.
By putting out a request for proposal (RFP) for projects with capacity in the range of 1 to 20 MW, Georgia Power intends to acquire 60 MW every year for three years to meet the planned additional capacity of 210 MW. Through a Distributed Scale Program commencing in 2013, small solar projects will have an opportunity to supply a maximum of 10 MW a year while there would be reserved opportunities for small scale projects with capacity less than 100 KW and medium scale projects with capacity in the range 100 to 1000 KW.
The RFPs would be submitted in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Corresponding commercial operations should commence in 2015, 2016 and 2017 respectively. The GPASI program will complement the available solar resources of Georgia Power that includes a large-scale solar program for a 50 MW capacity. Georgia Power has been taking sustained efforts to develop solar power in the state ever since the company flagged off its Green Energy Program in 2003 to facilitate customers to contribute towards the growth of alternative sustainable energy solutions.
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