For this month's newsletter, we wanted to highlight two recent decisions by the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) that will have long-lasting and serious consequences for our state.
On July 1, the PSC unanimously approved a settlement in Georgia Power's 2025 "rate case," a process meant to take place every three years to determine how much the utility can charge for electricity, among other financial matters. A rate case traditionally takes months with multiple hearings and opportunities for the public to speak to the PSC, as well as the public release of information about Georgia Power's finances in order for the public to make informed comments.
Rather than go through that standard procedure, Georgia Power proposed, and the PSC approved, an abbreviated process with only one public hearing. The approved settlement does not call for an increase to base rates, but also locked in Georgia Power's profit margins, already well above the industry average, for the next three years. The settlement also keeps important financial information about Georgia Power a secret. Read more about the settlement and reactions from the Sierra Club and our allies at this link.
Two weeks later, the PSC unanimously approved Georgia Power's Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), which maps out how the utility plans to generate electricity for the next 20 years. The plan is complex and covers a multitude of topics, but its main points include cancelling planned retirements of coal plants and investing in additional gas infrastructure in Georgia without any plans to build clean energy infrastructure in our state. Read more and see reactions to the final version of the IRP at this link.
Together, these agreements will increase our reliance on fossil fuels, make electricity more expensive, and cause more air and water pollution in our state. If you're interested in telling the PSC members what you think about their job performance, you can send a message to them at this link.
Clean Energy
Here’s a rundown of some of these programs and when they are expected to end:
- Tax credits for electric vehicles (EV) will end Sept. 30, 2025.
- Clean energy tax credits for families are largely defunded after Dec. 31, 2025.
- For home energy improvements, like heat pumps or weatherization, tax credits end Dec. 31, 2025.
- Tax credits for rooftop solar and battery projects also end on Dec. 31, 2025.
- For an EV charger, the tax credit ends June 31, 2026.
The Georgia Home Energy Rebates remain available to low and moderate income households with incentives to qualifying households/tenants to make electrification and efficiency improvements to their home. You can check the program information and status at the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) website . GEFA continues to train contractors to help families through the process. You must use an approved program contractor to participate in the program. We encourage you to take a look at how the Georgia Home Energy Rebates may help you substantially lower your energy bills.
The Sierra Club Georgia Chapter is part of the Georgians Organizing to Thrive and Survive (GOST) Network, a coalition of environmental and interested organizations. The coalition is organizing resilience workshops across Georgia to educate communities about the energy transition and benefits to businesses and families. Workshops are currently planned for: Macon, August 9; Brunswick, August 16; Valdosta, September 13; Savannah, September 20; Atlanta, October 4; and Clayton County, October 11. You may want to attend, or offer to volunteer to help.
We need your voice and your actions to continue to make progress on our clean energy transition! While continuing to seek changes on the Federal level, we will work at the state and local levels to advance the energy transition. Time to step up for maintaining the livability of our world. Join us! Contact Scott Presson to volunteer or to learn more about our Group's clean energy work!
Environmental Justice
Chapter Organizer Keyanna Jones Moore gave a presentation about energy burden at the Athens Clarke County Library on July 17 (see photo above!). The presentation was part of an ongoing series of community energy workshops presented by the Athens Land Trust and Southern Sustainability Institute. Community members learned how energy burden is affected by data centers, what that means in terms of the recently approved Georgia Power IRP, and how it all relates to the Public Service Commission.
- Noble Prize winning economist Paul Krugman recently posted an article on his Substack looking at housing in Atlanta and the limits of sprawl.
- The Associated Press has feature about volunteers from across the country working to restore the Appalachian Trail after last year's Hurricane Helene damaged many parts of the iconic trail.
- The Georgia Recorder spoke to many environmentalists who have been fighting to protect the Okefenokee Swamp about what's next now that a proposed mining project has been defeated.
Centennial Group
The Centennial Group, representing the Northwest Atlanta suburbs, meets the first Thursday of each month. Meetings can be attended in person at Life University in Marietta or virtually via Zoom. The Centennial Group is taking a break during the summer and won't have meetings in August.
On July 17, Centennial Group joined Cobb NAACP & INDIV-Cobb in a "John Lewis Good Trouble Lives On" rally & march in Marietta (see photo above). Centennial folks included Bettye Harris, Jeff Jones, Claudette Metz, Cynthia Patterson.
We are still receiving positive feedback about our tabling participation & presence (for our 11th year) in the Cobb NAACP Juneteenth Festival in Marietta on June 14. We had plenty of Sierra Club volunteer help and 30-plus interested visitors at our booth. We also led an Appalachian Trail hike to Siler Bald in North Carolina. To receive our monthly Sierra Centennial group newsletter, email Lee Graham.
Greater Gwinnett Group
The Greater Gwinnett Group meets on the 2nd Thursday of the month at 6:30 for social times and 7:00 for the meeting. Our new meeting location is the Wynne Russell House, located at 4684 Wynne Russell Dr NW, Lilburn. We conduct hybrid meetings with both in-person and virtual attendance options.
For our July meeting, our speaker was Scott Presson, who leads the Sierra Club Georgia Chapter’s Clean Energy Committee. Scott gave an update on the status of clean energy and sustainability efforts, setbacks, and opportunities. Our next Greater Gwinnett Group monthly meeting will be August 14. Ryan Davis from Gwinnett County will give an update on the county’s recycling program.
Gwinnett members continue to attend meetings of environmental interest groups or organizations, such as the Gwinnett County Sustainability Commission. Michael Hallen and others continue to conduct monthly stream monitoring at the Martin’s Farm landing on Martin Farm Road on the Suwanee Greenway (3rd Sunday of every month).
Metro Atlanta Group
Next week, gather with the Metro Atlanta Group for a presentation from Melanie Furr, the "hummingbird whisperer," to learn about a year in the life of these remarkable birds, including their courtship and nesting, their incredible migration, their ecological context, and even attracting them to your own backyard.
Ms. Furr was the first education director for the organization now known as Birds Georgia, has served on the advisory council for K-12 Education at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and launched her own small business in 2025, Feathers with Furr LLC, to offer bird outings, talks, and tours.
The meeting is scheduled for 7 PM on Tuesday, August 4. We’ll be gathering in person at Manuel’s Tavern in Atlanta. Get more information and RSVP for the meeting at this link.
Our next group outing is scheduled for Saturday, August 9 and features a guided tour through Constitution Lakes Park from DeKalb County Naturalist Tasha Messer and Sierra Club Outings Leader Max Brown. This collaborative hike blends natural exploration, environmental storytelling, and grassroots stewardship.
Max and Tasha plan to highlight native flora and fauna, the park’s rich birdlife, and the powerful found-art exhibit of the Doll’s Head Trail—all while discussing how we can collectively care for and uplift this special greenspace. Learn more and RSVP for this outing at this link.
Here are some other upcoming events that may be of interest:
- Wednesday, July 30: Local bookstore Charis Books will welcome Kamau Franklin, Micah Herskind, and Mariah Parker to discuss the anthology they edited, “No Cop City, No Cop World: Lessons from the Movement.” Learn more at this link.
- Thursday, July 31: South DeKalb naturalist Holly Merker is hosting an online, interactive event about how birding can relaxing and renewing. Learn more at this link.
Middle Chattahoochee Group
The Middle Chattahoochee Group's monthly meetings are in a hiatus this summer, but volunteer work continues on the Group's major projects, including monitoring of bluebird nest boxes the Group built and installed as well as regular maintenance on pollinator gardens. To pitch in on these projects, email the Middle Chattahoochee Group.
Later this month, Middle Chattahoochee Group Outings Leader Laura Breyfogle is hosting a "sustainable homes" tour in Troup County. The Aug. 16 tour will spotlight a variety of methods of lowering your home's carbon footprint, including solar panels, energy efficient appliances, weatherization techniques to make your home more efficient, and more! Learn more and RSVP at this link.
Savannah River Group
The Savannah River Group’s monthly meetings are on hiatus for the summer. Its most recent meeting included an excellent presentation from the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (an extension of UGA) with up close encounters with live amphibians, reptiles, and birds.
We look forward to more informative talks and events starting in September, including our annual “Ice Cream Social”. If you would like to join one of our monthly meetings virtually, you may do so via Zoom. Check the Sierra Club Georgia Chapter calendar for upcoming Savannah River Group events!
Your support is needed now more than ever. Please make a donation to the Sierra Club Georgia Chapter today — 100% of your gift stays local and will be applied where it is most urgently needed.