Southern's (SO -0.97%) Georgia Power announced today that it has added 53.5 MW of biomass capacity to its generation portfolio through a 20-year purchase power agreement with Rollcast Energy.
The capacity will come exclusively from Rollcast's newly operational Piedmont Green Power plant in Barnesville, Ga., and will provide electricity to power around 35,000 homes.
"We continue to implement a strategy that diversifies our generation portfolio through renewable sources that are cost-effective for our customers," said Georgia Power President and CEO Paul Bowers in a statement today. "Our customers want safe, clean, reliable, and affordable energy, and that's a commitment we will keep."
According to the release, the plant will fuel itself on forestry byproducts from nearby areas. Rollcast expects annual consumption to reach 500,000 tons, and it will retain all renewable-energy credits. Although Rollcast itself is a private corporation, Atlantic Power (AT) acquired a 60% equity interest in the company in 2009.
