COVINGTON, Ga. — Snapping Shoals EMC is among 30 electric cooperatives in Georgia that now collectively share in the renewable energy generated by a new 106-megawatt (MWAC) solar project in southwest Georgia.
Green Power EMC, the renewable energy supplier for 38 Georgia Electric Membership Corporations (EMCs) including Snapping Shoals EMC, is purchasing all the energy and environmental attributes generated by the Clay Solar Project in Clay County on behalf of its member cooperatives.
As a clean energy source, the solar site’s environmental offset is equivalent to approximately 193,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually.
The Clay Solar Project has more than 337,000 solar modules that track the sun on its daily path across the sky, resulting in increased energy production over a fixed-tilt installation.
Shaun Mock, president and CEO of Snapping Shoals EMC, said, “Snapping Shoals EMC serves our members with a diverse portfolio of reliable, affordable and environmentally responsible energy, and solar power has become a vital part of our strategy.
“The addition of the Clay Solar Project will enable us to continue to serve our members as efficiently and economically as possible,” Mock said.
Green Power EMC is a nonprofit cooperative founded in 2001 to support 38 of Georgia’s electric cooperatives in their search for renewable resources. The primary efforts of Green Power EMC have been to find, screen, analyze, and negotiate power purchase agreements with Georgia-based renewable resource providers.
In addition to sourcing renewable energy, Green Power EMC provides education programs that help member-consumers learn both the challenges and opportunities of utilizing renewable energy.
Snapping Shoals EMC has been serving Newton County for over 80 years. The co-op currently provides electricity to approximately 100,000 homes, businesses and other facilities in an eight-county area that includes large portions of Newton, Henry and Rockdale counties as well as parts of DeKalb, Butts, Walton, Jasper and Morgan counties.