Commissioner Tim Echols from the Georgia Public Service Commission is not afraid of addressing the elephant in the room: nuclear energy will remain an important part of Georgia’s energy mix.
Wind power, solar power, and especially hydrogen power are amongst the hottest topics at this year’s EnergyWeek.
“You could even say that Europe has gone hydrogen crazy,” Echols states.
Tim Echols has been a key person in promoting and implementing energy policy in Georgia, an American state with 11 million citizens.
Keynote speaker at the event
One of Wednesday’s events at EnergyWeek covered the U.S. Energy Market. Tim Echols was the keynote speaker, giving the audience insights and updates on what is going on right now.
Echols says that he is also here to understand how Finland and Europe have chosen to approach energy. He wants to update himself, especially on the plans for hydrogen, and learn how the development could be done cost-effectively if that is even possible.
Georgia sees potential in nuclear energy
For the State of Georgia, nuclear energy is and will remain an essential part of its energy mix. The state even recently had a brand-new nuclear reactor commissioned there. Tim Echols leaves the door open to building more reactors.
“Georgia needs a reliable and cost-effective way to produce energy”, says Echols.
Although the recent nuclear power plant project exceeded its budget, Tim Echols claims that nuclear energy remains, at least theoretically, a cost-effective solution.
“Energy production is also a political question. Nuclear power is needed to make it possible to decommission fossil fuel power plants”, he explains.
At the same time, solar energy on an industrial scale is also being built in Georgia.
“Utility solar is not a big political question, but rooftop solar power systems are dividing opinion”, says Echols.
The “U.S. Energy Market”-event was organized by Viexpo in collaboration with the Chamber of Eco Commerce.
