Energy & Environment
Former Sandy Springs lawmaker chairs board overseeing Jekyll
Amid boom times for Jekyll Island, a former state lawmaker has been tapped as the new board chair for the state agency charged with managing the island. Joe Wilkinson, a 16-year Republican state representative from Sandy Springs, was appointed board chairman for the Jekyll Island State Park Authority by Gov. Brian Kemp in July. His […]
Okefenokee mining proposal gets Folkston hearing Tuesday night
The Georgia Recorder will report from South Georgia this week on reactions from the community, environmental groups and mining company officials on plans to extract materials for titanium manufacturing near the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. The first of two public meetings this week is set for Tuesday night in southeast Georgia when Twin Pines Minerals […]
State carbon emissions down, renewable sources rising
Carbon emissions are down across the southeastern United States, including Georgia, driven by a declining appetite among consumers to use electricity amid a growing demand for more renewable sources like solar power, according to a report by the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. However, the decreasing trend in electricity consumption may not translate to power […]
Georgia DIYers stymied by big tech
A combination of experience, leaked technical documents and internet-powered crowd-sourcing has helped Nate Minor find his way around the inside of an iPad Pro and other high-tech devices without the aid of an official manufacturer’s guide. But the owner of the East Atlanta Village Screenfixing.com repair shop, says he hopes tech companies like Apple will […]
Public pressure killed Okefenokee mining plans once. Will it again?
A company’s push to mine minerals near the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is drawing parallels to a proposal 20 years ago near the southeast Georgia sanctuary that generated national attention. Twin Pines Minerals is hosting two public hearings in south Georgia next week, Aug. 13 in Folkston and Aug. 14 in St. George, about its […]
Storm-ravaged forests add fuel to biomass energy push
Within these thickets are a slew of trees that remain keeled over or snapped in two, just as Hurricane Michael left them nearly 10 months ago. In many cases, the high cost to remove the damaged trees and replant them — even with the state offering a tax incentive to do so — is leaving […]
Coal ash decisions need more public scrutiny, environmentalists say
Georgia regulators ought to hold more public meetings before issuing state permits for power plants to dispose of toxic coal ash, local environmentalists said during the only public hearing scheduled to discuss the state’s new ash-disposal rules. The hearing, held Tuesday at the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Atlanta headquarters, came a day after several […]
Environmentalists: Power plant coal ash a threat to Georgia’s water
Tons of coal ash stored at Georgia Power plants contain metal substances linked to cancer and could potentially cause permanent groundwater and river pollution , according to environmental groups. A 52-page letter, issued by the Southern Environmental Law Center, contends Georgia Power plans to seal nearly 50 million tons of toxic ash in sludge ponds […]