Georgia residents now pay $43 more on monthly electricity bills.
As the Georgia Recorder reported, Georgia Power, the state's largest electric utility company, implemented a 3.5% rate hike. Costlier electric bills went into effect Jan. 1.
This is just one of several rate increases that Georgia Power customers have borne since 2023. The company attributes the increases to excess fuel expenses, power grid upgrades, and nuclear power generators.
Five Republican Public Service Commission members unanimously approved the higher rates so the company could recoup $306 million in investments. Meanwhile, Georgia Power's parent company, Southern Co., reported $1.5 billion in earnings during the third quarter of 2024.
Looking ahead, Georgia Power plans to rely even more on dirty energy sources to meet customer demands. These higher energy demands are primarily attributed to the extensive energy requirements of artificial intelligence-driven data centers.
This is grim news for residents who are paying more for their electricity and are stuck in a cycle of breathing polluted air where they live. Fortunately, there is a better way.
Utility customers facing higher bills can embrace solar energy to reduce household costs and planet-overheating pollution. Installing solar panels has many benefits, including keeping appliances and devices working when the grid goes out because of extreme storms and natural disasters.
To get the best deals on solar panels and find trusted professionals to do the job right, EnergySage offers free tools to compare quotes and choose an installer. Yet there is a sense of urgency in switching to solar sooner rather than later.
Dirty energy price hikes are becoming increasingly common, so you can save money in the long run by acting now on your next solar project.
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Definitely 👍 Another reason to act now is because President Donald Trump plans to eliminate subsidies that help homeowners save on energy-efficient upgrades. These subsidies can save homeowners thousands of dollars as they do their part to curb planet-warming gas pollution.
In Georgia, the utility company will soon file its 2025 resource plan, which details goals for pollution-heavy and clean energy sources. Climate action groups have been critical of its delay in closing coal-burning generators.
Jennifer Whitfield, a senior attorney for the Southern Environmental Law Center, wrote about Georgia Power's resistance to closing the polluting units, saying, "The realities of coal have not changed, though: It's still expensive and dirty."
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