Green Energy Will Begin Flowing From Georgia Power

Green energy is available to residential customers in 100-kilowatt-hour blocks and requires a 12-month subscription period. Each block costs $4.50. Business and industrial customers can also participate in the program. The minimum number of blocks purchased by a business will be based on the amount of energy the customer has historically used.

Over 400 customers have already signed up for green energy. Customers interested in signing up for the program should call 1-800-735-7797 or visit the company website, www.georgiapower.com/greenenergy.

Georgia Power's first source of green energy is being generated in DeKalb County. Last year, the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners voted in favor of developing a new landfill gas generation facility at the county's Seminole Road facility and approved a 10-year contract to sell the energy to Georgia Power. The facility consists of two, 1.6 megawatt generators that have the ability to produce 24 million to 25 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually; this equals enough energy to power more than 2,000 homes.

The Seminole Road Landfill accepts about 1,700 tons of municipal solid waste garbage daily. As the garbage decomposes, methane gas, a natural byproduct of the landfill, is generated. Usually, the methane is flared (burned off) to reduce the hazard of gas buildup. However, the new generation facility uses the methane gas to power electric generators and produce green energy for Georgia Power's residential and business customers.

Georgia Power is the largest subsidiary of Southern Company, one of the nation's largest generators of electricity. The company is an investor-owned, tax-paying utility with rates well below the national average. Georgia Power serves 2.25 million customers in all but four of Georgia's 159 counties.