FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Karen Stevenson
THURSDAY, April 4, 2019 PHONE: (678) 770-8279
Macon, GA – Solarize Middle Georgia is holding its 2nd “Solar Tour,” including workshops and information sessions throughout Middle Georgia beginning on Monday, April 15th. The schedule is detailed in the table below. The Middle Georgia Solar Tour will travel through Macon-Bibb, Monroe, Houston and Sumter counties. The Solar Tour brings awareness to Middle Georgia residents of the new options to power their homes, businesses and nonprofits. Solarize Middle Georgia is a community-wide effort to make solar energy and battery storage more affordable and accessible to homes, businesses, and non-profits throughout Middle Georgia and runs for six months, through April 30, 2019.
Notable guest speakers at the Middle Georgia Showcase Luncheon on Tuesday, April 16th include Chrissy Miner, President of the Museum of Aviation Foundation and Senior Advisor to the 21st Century Partnership in Warner Robins, and Public Service Commissioner and Chairman, Lauren “Bubba” McDonald. Additional organizations participating in the Middle Georgia Showcase include the U.S. Green Building Council, Middle Georgia Clean Air Coalition, Sierra Club, Mercer University, Wesleyan University, Macon-Bibb Board of Education and Robins Air Force Base.
Solarize Middle Georgia is a community-based initiative designed to educate the public about the benefits of solar energy and battery storage and reduce the cost for everyone. This includes an opportunity for a free, no-obligation solar assessment on your home, business, or non-profit and a way to use clean, renewable energy to increase property values and save on your utility bills for decades. Should a family or business decide to go solar, Solarize Middle Georgia offers bulk-purchasing power to reduce the cost of materials and installation, in addition to the 30% federal tax credit, that will begin to phase out after 2019. The bulk-purchase model offers residents up to 20% savings over those who install outside of the solarize program.
Ray Clark, Senior Advisor to the elected officials of the Middle Georgia Clean Air Coalition (MGCAC) adds, “Solarize Middle Georgia is an important partner to MGCAC. While counties and municipalities in the coalition make significant contributions to improving air quality in the region, Solarize Middle Georgia is unique in that it offers every single household, business, and nonprofit in Middle Georgia an opportunity to play a role in reducing air pollution.”
Solarize Middle Georgia is the first Solarize campaign in Georgia to span an entire region, including eleven counties, and 31 municipalities surrounding Macon and Warner Robins. Prior campaigns have reached out to one city and/or one city and county. Community partners includes the Middle Georgia Clean Air Coalition (MGCAC), Jones County, Georgia, Environment Georgia, Georgia Interfaith Power and Light, U.S. Green Building Council and Solar Crowdsource.
The State of Georgia ranks 11th in the nation for installed solar capacity but most of the energy we use in our homes still comes from coal, gas and nuclear power plants. Community Solarize programs are working to change that. Prior Solarize programs include Tybee Island, Savannah, Athens, Decatur/DeKalb, Dunwoody, Atlanta, Carroll-Carrollton, and Newton-Morgan. Over half of the rooftop solar capacity in Georgia has been generated through Solarize programs. Solarize campaigns are supported by the U. S. Department of Energy.
Additional public meetings, workshops and lunch and learn opportunities will be held throughout the campaign. The schedule of meetings and workshops is being developed and will be publicized at the Solarize Middle Georgia website: solarizemidga.com and through social & traditional media channels.
Additional partners or “Ambassadors” for Solarize Middle Georgia include Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful, NewTown Macon, Altamaha Riverkeeper, The Eatonton-Putnam Chamber of Commerce, the Forsyth-Monroe County Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce, the Hawkinsville – Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce, The Milledgeville-Baldwin County Chamber of Commerce, Perry Area Chamber of Commerce, Roberta- Crawford County Chamber of Commerce and Sumter County Chamber of Commerce, Twiggs County Development Authority and the Twiggs County Chamber of Commerce.
For more information, see solarizemidga.com. Contact admin@solarizemidga.com for more informiton.
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