Hydroelectricity
Georgia is one of the top hydroelectricity producers east of the Rocky Mountains and Tennessee – with the Tennessee and Cumberland river systems – has one of the highest potentials for hydroelectric power production in the U.S. Recent technological advancements hold the promise of increasing the power output of existing hydro facilities while minimizing negative ecological impacts and could further expand the contribution of this renewable resource.
The Southeast Energy Alliance supports the following:
- Development of regulations, expansion of infrastructure and implementation of incentives to ensure the production and consumption of increasing levels of renewable fuels without raising logistical issues or raising prices of gasoline or diesel in the Southeast;
- Development of federal and state programs to develop offshore wind projects that can provide sustainable, renewable electricity generation;
- Inclusion of renewable sources in a systematic national inventory of domestic energy resources; and
- Further extension and expansion of the federal production tax credit for renewable energy
Additionally, obstacles for siting renewable energy projects will continue to present a significant challenge for the expanded deployment of most, if not all, renewable energy options. The Southeast Energy Alliance (SEA) will utilize its grassroots capabilities to ensure that all environmentally and commercially viable energy projects receive a fair hearing and review and are assessed on purely technical, economic and environmental merits.