This blog entry was written by Allie Brown, former Clean Energy Advocacy Manager at SACE.
Guest Blog | October 6, 2017 | Energy Policy, Solar
Let’s talk about the ridiculously lopsided football game at Neyland Stadium last week. The University of Georgia (UGA) pummeled the University of Tennessee (UT) 41-0…in UT’s own backyard. This annual match is usually competitive, but this year, UT suffered their first shutout in over 20 years. But have you noticed that Georgia is whupping Tennessee in more than just college football this year?
Let’s talk solar power: At the end of 2016, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) had only 100 megawatts of solar in the Tennessee system. Georgia has five times that amount. Tennessee ranks just 24th in the nation in installed solar power, while Georgia is 8th. Just like the college football rankings this year, Georgia continues to rise and Tennessee continues to fall.
Why? Because TVA and your local power company have spent years blocking the sun. A lack of leadership and poor policies are holding Tennessee back from taking advantage of solar power. Just take a look at TVA’s recent rejection to a proposal that would have increased participation in their Green Power Providers program. Are you angry yet? Sign this petition to tell TVA to remove these barriers.
And it’s not just Georgia that’s taking off with solar power in the the South. North Carolina currently boasts more than ten times the amount of Tennessee with significant plans to continue scaling-up. Georgia and North Carolina demonstrate the potential for solar energy across the region, and yet TVA seems to be adopting a strategy of doing as little as Tennesseans will let them get away with.
I know all you Vols fans out there are feeling hopeless and on the sideline when it comes to fixing your struggling football team. While we can’t offer a quick fix there, we can direct you towards the first steps to catching up to Georgia when it comes to solar power.
Join us, and these three simple steps:
2. Fans can be a “Volunteer” in more way than one. Sign up to join us and volunteer with the Tennesseans for Solar Choice movement.
3. Share the petition with your networks so we can continue to grow the grassroots support. Share SACE’s Facebook post here.