GA produces 37x more solar power than it did 10 years ago, data shows. Where it ranks
Georgia produces 37 times more solar power than it did a decade ago, according to new report from Environment Georgia Research and Policy Center released Wednesday.
The state is ranked seventh in the nation for solar power generation.
The report, called “Renewables on the Rise 2024,” documents the growth of six key clean energy technologies across the U.S. over the past decade: solar power, wind power, battery storage, energy efficiency, electric vehicles and electric vehicle charging stations, according to a press release from Environment Georgia Research and Policy Center.
The increase in solar power generation alone in Georgia is enough to power over 730,000 households each year, according to the press release.
“It’s amazing the difference that a decade can make,” said Jeannette Gayer, state director with Environment Georgia Research and Policy Center. “We’ve gone from ‘solar won’t work in Georgia’ to several power plants worth of clean energy powered by the sun.”
This analysis comes as Georgia prepares for a critical year in energy planning at the Georgia Public Service Commission.
The Environment Georgia Research and Policy Center said that advocates can foresee a future where energy generation goes further in either direction — with expansions in solar powered generation or expansions in gas powered generation — to meet the extra demand from data centers.
The state also saw significant growth in solar battery storage, going from no reported storage before 2021 to ranking 13th in the country by 2023.
The growth in clean energy technologies in Georgia doesn’t stop with solar power.
Georgia also ranks eighth nationally for the number of registered electric vehicles in the state and ninth in the nation for the number of EV charging stations, according to the report. However, Georgia generates little to no wind or geothermal energy.
The report also notes national progress, stating that America produced more than three times as much renewable electricity from the sun and the wind in 2023 as it did in 2014.
“With federal tax credits turbocharging clean energy, now is the time for states to double down on renewables,” Gayer said.
This story was originally published October 23, 2024 at 1:00 PM with the headline "GA produces 37x more solar power than it did 10 years ago, data shows. Where it ranks."
