Big business wants solar energy. Can Georgia utilities keep up?

Georgia, the nation’s eighth-most populous state, is ranked seventh by SEIA for cumulative solar capacity with about 4,500 megawatts. Georgia Power, the state’s largest utility, is the top solar provider.But Georgia Power has at times struggled to meet market demand for solar and its own renewable energy goals, opening the door for smaller players like Georgia’s network of nonprofit electric cooperatives to win new, large customers.Unlike Georgia residents and existing businesses, who have to buy electricity from the provider assigned to their area, large commercial or industrial customers building new facilities have a one-time option to choose their utility if their electrical load exceeds 900 kilowatts.In 2018, Meta, then known as Facebook, chose Walton EMC to power a massive data center in Newton County. Electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian also chose Walton EMC for…

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