The science is clear, and has been for decades, that burning and mining fossil fuels releases gases that warm our planet, and this warming has disastrous consequences. The worldwide scientific community began making accurate predictions of the impacts back in the 1980s and has valiantly tried to get the world to take action. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), formed in 1988, has prepared regular reports warning of increased warming levels and escalating catastrophic consequences, and outlining action that could prevent further warming. Since 1992, world leaders have gathered in yearly Conference of the Parties (COP) meetings to read the IPCC reports and to set emission reduction and clean energy adoption targets. Tragically, those who profit from fossil fuels immediately pushed back hard. They have spent massive amounts of money working to discredit established science and scientists, spread disinformation, and lobby against policies that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The consequences of their actions have been profound. Though almost all nations in the world have made promises to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, fossil fuel interests have successfully prevented governing bodies from setting policies and passing legislation that would achieve this. So carbon and methane emissions have continued to rise, and as a result we are seeing so much destruction that could have and should have been prevented. So many people have lost their lives or livelihoods in extreme weather events, all of us have been impacted by extreme heat and rising costs, and there has been major ecosystem destruction, solely because powerful people chose personal profits over people and our planet. The scientists warned us in time, this didn’t have to happen. Georgia Power, the monopoly electricity provider for much of Georgia, and its parent company, Southern Company, actively engaged in disinformation and denial campaigns, and are still increasing their reliance on fossil fuels and making only slow movement in most clean energy sourcing and energy efficiency programs. This continued denial and delay is particularly horrible, as the worldwide scientific community is saying that we are at a critical moment: unless we rapidly switch from fossil fuels to clean energy sources we are at increasing risk of crossing irreversible tipping points in Earth's climate systems that could trigger cascading effects lasting centuries or millennia. There is no pathway to reach critical emissions reduction targets in the United States without immediately cleaning up the way that we generate electricity. A whopping 25% of greenhouse gas reductions come from the generation of electricity, and to clean up transportation, home and business emissions we must transition to products that run efficiently on electricity that is generated by clean and renewable sources. Cities and counties throughout Georgia have developed clean energy plans, but they won’t be able to reach their goals unless Georgia Power provides them with clean electricity. Georgia Power's 2025 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), if approved, would move us rapidly in the wrong direction. We strongly encourage you to read the Sierra Club's Grading Georgia Power's 2025 Energy Plan report (link below). It contains a thorough analysis of the IRP requests and the impacts if they are granted. They looked at 6 key areas, and Georgia Power's IRP received five "F" grades and one "D minus." Thankfully, scientists and innovators have been working on clean energy solutions. Solar and wind are now the cheapest way to produce electricity. Battery storage is now much less expensive and more effective and being employed across the country. Virtual power plants are a way to quickly reduce peak demand, avoiding the need to create more fossil fuel plants. And there are many more exciting ideas and technologies that are in development. We have the solutions. Georgia Power just needs to enact them. Grading Georgia Power’s 2025 Energy Plan at https://www.sierraclub.org/georgia/IRP2025