Electricity in Georgia

Of the 94 electric companies in Georgia, 54 of them report that they offer net metering. Georgia has good regulations in place for consumers who are interested in taking advantage of net metering with solar panels.

The average energy loss for electricity providers in Georgia is 3.96%. This includes data from 53 suppliers, including Georgia Power, Jackson EMC, and Cobb Electric Membership Corp. With a nationwide average of 2.76%, Georgia is ranked as the 37th best state in the United States.

State governments can encourage private citizens to consider installing solar panels by issuing tax breaks and rebates. Georgia currently does not offer a state tax credit for solar panel installation at a private residence. The state offers limited local rebates rather than a statewide rebate program. The state of Georgia offers no property tax exemptions to homeowners who install solar. Homeowners in the state do not have access to a sales tax exemption when purchasing private solar panels.

Whether a consumer is able to easily purchase electricity options with renewable fuel types is at least somewhat determined by state level legislation. States that have Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) have requirements in place for all electricity providers who sell electricity in the state. These standards dictate that a certain amount of electricity must be produced using renewable fuel types. Georgia, unfortunately, has no standards in place. Furthermore, there are currently no low income solar programs to assist low income families to install solar panels.