Clean Power Plan Public HearingTestimony Dennis Creech, Executive Director, Southface Energy Institute July 29, 2014, Atlanta, Georgia Good morning. My name is Dennis Creech. I'm the Executive Director ofSouthface Energy Institute, an Atlanta-based nonprofitorganization that has provided education, research and technical assistance on clean energy development across the Southeast for over 35 years. My perspective on the proposed standard is simple: Georgia can meetthis standard and, in doing so, further stimulate the growth ofour clean energyeconomy. While we, as astate, have made significant progress in promoting energy efficiency and developing new renewable energy, we can do much, much more. I come today to share a practitioner's perspective. For more than three decades, Southface has been on the ground- training builders, working with energy code officials, assisting local governments and utilities and supporting clean energy companies. I'd like to give a couple ofexamples ofour market-based approach to advancing clean energy that illustrate that clean energy works in Georgia and that we have astrong clean energy industrythat can scale quickly to meetthe proposed EPA standard. Fifteen years ago, Southface and the GreaterAtlanta Home BuildersAssociation established EarthCraft, the firstgreen building certification program designed forthe Southeast. To date, builders have certified more than 30,000 EarthCraft homes-homesthat cut energy and watercosts and put money in the pockets ofconsumers. Two years ago, Southface partnered with the City ofAtlanta and the commercial real estate industryto launch the Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge. As a result, over70 million square feet ofcommercial 

### office space in Atlanta has pledged to reduce energy and water use at least 20% by 2020. By the way, the Omni, the site oftoday's hearings, as well as the Sam Nunn federal building, which houses the offices ofRegion IV EPA havejoined the Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge. Our local utilities, too, have expanded theirenergy efficiency programs. Georgia Powersaves morethan 300,000 megawatt-hours ayear with its currentdemand side management programs. Likewise, Georgia's 41 electric membership cooperatives offer a range ofenergy efficiency programs to their customers. However, neither private sector nor utilityenergy efficiency initiatives in Georgia have come close to exhausting the potential for cost-effective savings. Each day, we see enormous potential forcutting energy waste in our economy.We also see untapped potential for renewable energy production. While we have finally moved beyond the myth that solar energy doesn'twork in Georgia and developed astrong solar market, we can do much more. Southface maintains an online solar energy map thattracks solar installations across the state. We know of more than 920 residential and commercial projects with a collective capacity of 110 megawatts. Our utilities have also shown leadership in this arena. Georgia Power'sAdvanced Solar Initiative will bring online more than 700 additional megawatts ofsolar energy by the end of2016. GreenPower EMC, which provides clean energytothe state's electric membership cooperatives, recently announced a20- megawatt solar deal.
As with energy efficiency, we have untapped potential and asolar industry in Georgia ready to create jobs and strengthen local economies. In fact, clean energy is already having a positive impact on Georgia's economy. In 2013, Southface partnered with government and industryto conductthe Georgia Clean Energy Industry Census. The data shows more than 600 clean energyfirms in the state. About two-thirds of these firms provided employment and sales data; these companies employ over 9,700full-time personnel and generate at least $2.6 billion annually in revenues. This sector is poised to grow more.

In closing, Iwantto acknowledge thatthere will be some who will say we can't cut carbon pollution. They will claim such regulation is burdensome and itwill drive up the cost ofelectricity, destabilize the electricitygrid, and cost Americanjobs. Idon't believe it. I have seen first-hand the potential forenergy efficiency and renewable energy to enhance ourquality of life and grow our economy. We can achieve the carbon pollution standard in Georgia and it'sthe smartthingto do.
Thank you.