Solar Challenges Georgia Power

Georgia Power and its subsidiary the Southern Co. have a monopoly protected by law on the sale of electricity to almost all the customers in its territory. This is similar to monopolies in five other states, Florida, North Carolina, Kentucky, Iowa, and Oklahoma. You can buy solar panels but laws that protect the power companies’ monopolies prevent solar companies from selling electricity to Georgia Power customers or even leasing solar panels to customers if the payments reflect a charge for using energy. So, how is solar challenging the existing energy model? In Georgia developers are working around the current laws by using local government authority to build a $3.8 million solar project to power a rural high school southeast of Atlanta. How does this challenge traditional power companies? Georgia Power needs the money they collect from their customers to support their infrastructure, the power plants and transmission lines, etc. and make big profits and although the solar project for one high school wouldn't seem to have much impact on such a large business, it could in the future if it’s a sign of things to come. Since I have a reputation around my house as the electricity police I found this challenge interesting and as a retired teacher from Camden County I have an inkling about the lengths the schools will go to conserve energy, it seems only right that the power monopolies are being “schooled” by a school system. I, along with many others, am tired of high utility bills and hope they (the power companies) are learning something.