Georgia’s energy is getting greener as utilities make more renewable energy

ATLANTA (AP) — From the whirr of an espresso machine to the hum of the lights to the soca music playing on the speakers, Joe’s East Atlanta Coffee Shop has dozens of examples of Georgia’s energy mix at work.

It’s not like there are signs saying “Coffee maker powered by solar panels!” or “Lamps brought to you by the Chattahoochee River,” but utility providers like Georgia Power, electric membership cooperatives and city-run power companies do bring you electricity using a variety of sources.

“Big picture, there’s a large power plant that is generating electricity, and then it flows out on to the power grid,” E&E News reporter Kristi Swartz said while walking through the energy process over an iced chai latte. The energy from those massive plants are stepped down until they flow into usable voltage for different items in the coffee shop.