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This is a key moment to reach out to our five Georgia Public Service Commissioners. On July 21st, they will vote on Georgia Power's energy plan and can make amendments to include policies that will help our climate and our planet.
They represent us! If lots of people email them now, right before they vote, it will sway decisions toward clean renewable energy and away from dirty fossil fuels. It has worked before, and it could work again!
Subject: Public comment for Docket 44160 and 44161.
Content: Take about 5 minutes. It doesn't have to be long or perfect, just send it!
1. Tell them who you are and what county you live in.
2. Briefly share why you care about climate and pollution, or just go straight to ask for specific actions. Basically, the asks are for less natural gas, more utility-scale solar with battery storage, expanding the net metering program to make rooftop solar more affordable, and more energy efficiency programs. The samples below are just 3 to 8 sentences long.
Send your email to:
fjohnson@psc.ga.gov; tpridemore@psc.ga.gov; techols@psc.ga.gov; jshaw@psc.ga.gov;
lmcdonald@psc.ga.gov; apsc@psc.ga.gov
That's it! You're done! You can go to bed tonight knowing that you did your part to help ensure a healthy climate for all of us. Magnify your impact by asking your friends and family to do the same.
Sample one: We all deserve to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, and live and work in a thriving community. As Commissioners, you have an opportunity now to make a difference. The problem is that fossil fuels are bad for the environment and very expensive in the long term. The solution is clear. Ditch the fossil fuels and invest in utility-scale solar with battery storage, expand the net metering program, and add more energy efficiency programs.
Sample two: Many people in Georgia have huge energy burdens and have trouble meeting their energy bills. The cheapest energy is the energy that isn't used. Please invest in more energy efficiency programs, particularly those aimed at low income Georgians. We need to help people to lower their energy bills, and we will help protect our planet at the same time. And we also need more solar and less natural gas, so please expand the net metering program to encourage rooftop solar!
Sample three: My daughter and her friends are experiencing a lot of anxiety about the future because of the climate crisis. We must stop warming our planet by continuing to pump greenhouse gasses into our atmosphere. Please invest in more utility-scale solar, expand the net metering program to make rooftop solar more affordable, and make energy efficiency programs available to more Georgia Power customers.
Sample four: Commissioners, with all due respect, I ask that you decide based on what is best for all Georgians and not just for the few. My name is Jane Doe, I live in Dekalb County and suffer from asthma. Since I was a kid (65 years ago) I have been using an inhaler. When the air is dirty, I have a harder time breathing. Fighting for clean air is important for my personal well being. I also want generations to come to have clean air and water. No one deserves any less. Please invest in more solar energy and move rapidly away from dirty fossil fuels.
Sample five: We all know that coal is dirty. Unfortunately, so is methane gas. Our future is literally in your hands. Please don’t exchange one fossil fuel for another. I am very proud that we have been listed as number 7 in utility solar, but we are only number 40 in rooftop solar! Climate scientists say that we must rapidly move away from fossil fuels, and I am concerned that Georgia Power is planning so much new investment in natural gas. Instead, please require that Georgia Power invest in as much solar as possible instead. That means more utility-scale solar and expanding the net metering program.
Here are some sample emails for inspiration. Please use your own words, though, as that is most impactful!
And here is a little more info about net metering, energy efficiency and natural gas, in case you are interested. You don't need to read this to write a good, short and quick email.
What the heck is "net metering"?
“Net metering” is a key policy that can make solar more affordable and accessible for Georgians. When the sun is shining and people with rooftop solar don’t use all of the energy their panels are producing, they are credited for extra power sent back to the grid. Without net metering, customers receive only a fraction of the value for their homegrown solar. States with widespread access to net metering have seen significantly more rooftop solar growth compared to Georgia. For example, South Carolina has half as many residents as Georgia, but five times the amount of rooftop solar. Georgia is one of the states with the most rooftop potential due to our number of sunny days, but we currently rank 40th in terms of the amount of rooftop solar that we actually have.
Why is energy efficiency important?
This is easy. The cheapest energy is the energy that isn't used. It's is especially important for those with low incomes.
What is the problem with "natural" gas? In short, it is a dirty fossil fuel.
Don't be fooled. Natural gas is better than coal in the amount of carbon dioxide it produces, but it also causes air pollution and releases methane. Methane is a much more potent greenhouse gas and as we all know, the prices go up and down and like now, can be quite high. It is much better to switch to solar energy.
Thank you so much for taking action and making a difference!
This is a numbers game. The more comments, the more impact! Let's get the message across! Ask your family members and as many friends as possible to also send emails.
Our Mission
To break the overwhelming climate crisis into bite size pieces and to demonstrate the power possible when people in one community take climate action together.
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