Georgia lawmakers seek to regulate solar panel installers

FILE - A technician installs a solar energy system at a home July 24, 2018, in Adjuntas, Puerto Rico. A U.S. government ongoing study that released preliminary results Monday, Jan. 23, 2023, has determined that with little room on the island for large-scale solar farms or wind generators, Puerto Rico should aim to reach its clean-energy goals by installing solar panels on all suitable rooftops, along with airports, brownfields and industrial areas. (AP Photo/Dennis M. Rivera Pichardo, File)

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia lawmakers are looking to regulate the installation of rooftop solar panels, saying some companies are ripping off consumers.

The House Energy, Telecommunications and Utilities Committee voted unanimously on Feb. 7 to advance House Bill 73, which would require companies that install panels at residences to be certified by the state Public Service Commission and make certain basic disclosures to consumers.

The measure advances next to the full House for more debate.

“We want this industry to flourish; solar is a big part of where we’re going, but we want to get the bad actors out,” Rep Joseph Gullett, a Dallas Republican who is sponsoring the bill, told the committee.

The Georgia Solar Energy Association opposes the bill because it sees the five-member elected Public Service Commission as a foe of rooftop solar, a spillover from fights over how much Georgia Power Co. is required


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