Our community’s economic development strategy is rooted in a belief in sustainability. We are pleased to serve as one of the first communities in the nation to offer a local Green Incentive Program.
The following resources are available to support your company’s efforts to be environmentally friendly:
Sustainable Toolkit
The Sustainable Toolkit is a set of resources and tools that were developed by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Sustainability Division to help businesses move toward sustainability through practices such as:
Georgia Clean Energy Property Tax Credit
As part of the Georgia Energy Challenge, Georgia offers tax credits for certain types of energy efficient and renewable energy property as well as for the delivery of wood residuals to qualified biomass facilities. The credits will be available to taxpayers placing qualified clean energy property in service between July 1, 2008, and December 31, 2014. The program’s annual cap is $2.5 million for 2008 through 2011 and $5 million for 2012 through 2014.
Forsyth County Green Incentive Program
Eligible businesses who manufacture green products, or build a facility to green building standards, may qualify for an abatement of up to 100% of their local property taxes for up to three years. For more information on this program, please contact Ethan Underwood at (770) 842-1007.
Technical Assistance
The Sustainability Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources provides free, non-regulatory and confidential technical assistance in the areas of:
- pollution prevention
- resource conservation
- waste reduction
- by-product reuse
- recycling
Green Energy Programs
Georgia Power
Georgia Power’s non-residential customers can purchase Green Energy in 100-kilowatt-hour blocks for a
12-month time period. Commercial and industrial customers who choose to participate in the Green Energy Program will be required to buy a minimum number of blocks per month as defined in the Green Energy tariff. Non-residential customers have four different options to choose from when purchasing Green Energy from Georgia Power, including:
- Standard Green Energy: Available for $3.50 (plus tax) a month per 100 kWh block for 100 percent biomass.
- Premium Green Energy: Available for $5.00 (plus tax) a month per 100 kWh block for a mix of at least 50 percent solar energy.
Green Power EMC
Formed in 2001, Green Power EMC offers green energy technologies through 39 EMCs across the State of Georgia. Green Power EMC contracts for electricity generated by renewable resources, and the green electricity is then distributed by the participating cooperatives. Locally, Sawnee EMC serves as a provider of Green Power through the Green Power EMC program.