Achievement

Trainees Rachel Muhlbauer, Matt Cox, and Adam Vitale analyzed net metering which allows consumers to provide electricity to the grid and enables expansion of distributed generation, in the State of Georgia. Net metering also enables consumers to produce power, reducing generation demands and negative externalities, such as climate change, asthma, smog, acid rain, agricultural damage, and premature death, from traditional plants. While not technically prohibited in the State, the current State policies received an “F” score. In Georgia, Georgia Power operates as a regulated monopoly. While its perspective is important, it should not solely determine electricity related policy decisions. Modeling the effects of net metering on the State of Georgia should take into account the perspective of society. Through a technology analysis, net metering model and the societal impact model, the trainees provided a complete assessment of the impact of net metering on the State of Georgia.