A new day for solar energy in Georgia

1/30/15—The outlook for the solar industry in Georgia could turn sunnier if a proposal introduced this year makes it into law. House Bill 57 sailed through the state House of Representatives’ Energy, Utilities & Telecommunications Committee Jan. 28 and appears on a smooth path toward passage by the full General Assembly.

“I’ve not heard any organized opposition,” said Rep. Mike Dudgeon, R-Johns Creek, the measure’s chief sponsor. Dudgeon’s bill would let Georgia residents and businesses contract directly with solar companies to finance and install solar panels.

The move could be a game-changer. It would open up Georgia to solar investors, lenders and financial institutions who help finance solar projects, said Jason Rooks, director of government affairs with the Georgia Solar Energy Industries Association (GaSEIA), the solar industry trade association.

“There’s going to be a boom in construction activity,” Rooks said.

The bill would remove the requirement that property owners pay for their solar panels upfront — a major factor stifling adoption of clean power in the state.

Source: A new day for solar energy in Georgia – Atlanta Business Chronicle

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