Georgia’s almost perfect for solar

[jpak]

http://www.sundaypaper.com/More/Archives/tabid/98/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/3447/Georgias-almost-perfect-for-solar.aspx

In Dec. 11’s cold rain, Gov. Sonny Perdue cut the ribbon at a grand opening ceremony for Suniva, a company that develops, manufactures and markets high-efficiency photovoltaic (PV) cells. It’s the first major solar equipment manufacturing plant in the state, and its opening gave Perdue an opportunity to very publicly endorse the alternative energy that most politicians only talk about in the future tense.

It was also a little bright spot in the state’s dismal economic picture. Suniva will initially employ about 100 Georgians.

Suniva has already sold contracts worth nearly $1 billion, but the products included in those contracts won’t be used in Georgia anytime soon. Aside from the fact that Suniva's production is booked for foreign orders, Georgia isn't much of a solar power user.

Georgia gets about 25 percent of its energy from two nuclear power plants in the eastern part of the state, while about three-fifths of its power comes from burning coal. Georgia doesn’t produce coal, so we import most if it from Wyoming, Kentucky and Virginia. We also lead the way in hydroelectric power production, but when it comes to sun and wind energy, Georgia lags behind.

<more>