State leaders mull gas crisis solutions

Some 200 motorists lined up at a Kroger gas station in Marietta, Ga., on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2008. Scenes similar to this were common throughout the metro Atlanta area, as well as in other parts of the state in recent weeks. (Dave Bender)

Georgia leaders are debating whether to revise the state's emergency fuel plan and are considering ways to bolster gas supply in the aftermath of the abrupt shortage of gas that sent some motorists into a frenzy.

As lines outside gas stations grow shorter, frustrating searches for fuel have given way to soul-searching among Georgia legislators. Critics, meanwhile, have sharply condemned the state's response to the crisis.

The gas shortage started with the one-two punch of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, which shut down refineries along the Gulf Coast. And the hankering among panicky drivers to top off their tanks when they passed an open fueled station made things worse.

Soon many gas stations around metro Atlanta were shuttered, and some lines outside those that stayed open could stretch for hours. Radio stations eagerly broadcast the names of open stations, and some drivers tailed fuel trucks in hopes of filling up their tanks.

Georgia's leaders updated an emergency plan last year to better handle a gas crisis. Among other options, the plan allows the governor to limit drivers to fill up their tanks every other day and set minimum and maximum limits on how much fuel they can purchase.

Gov. Sonny Perdue lobbied the Environmental Protection Agency to permit delivery of high-sulfur gasoline to metro Atlanta because the cleaner-burning low sulfur fuel normally required was in short supply.

But he ruled out more stringent options amid worries they would spark an even greater panic. Some of the measures proved too difficult to enforce while others weren't feasible, said Perdue spokesman Bert Brantley.

Gas retailers, for one, complained their pumps weren't equipped to set minimum fuel limits. And state officials were uncertain how they would enforce the every-other-day limits if they were enacted.

"You're looking at asking retailers to hire additional folks to be out there and try to enforce something like this," said Brantley. "And what do you do about the guy who's on empty, but it's not his day?"

Perdue, who returned Friday from a weeklong trade mission in Europe, has also taken heat from critics for the his absence in the middle of the fuel crisis.

"The governor should have gotten on MARTA to go to the Capitol as an example to use mass transit," said DuBose Porter, the House's top Democrat. "But he was in Spain, so it would be kind of difficult for him to lead by example."

Perdue's office countered that the governor was still calling the shots from abroad.

"This isn't the '50s where you'd go out of the country and not be reachable for a week," said Brantley. "He is incredibly reachable.

As the dust settles, the governor's office said it will consider several changes to the emergency gas plan, including a more structured policy to apply to the EPA for high-sulfur gasoline permits.

And state officials say they will explore ways to bolster supply of gas. Two pipelines that run from Houston through Georgia supply most of the state's gas, but officials sound eager to explore ways to ship in more fuel.

"There are some capacity issues and supply issues we want to look at in the future," said Shane Hix of the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority. "We'll look at improving supply, including the diversity of supply from the port of Savannah."

House Speaker Glenn Richardson's office said he'll be looking at "various options" to prevent another crisis.

Legislators could also consider another effort to speed along the construction of a $2 billion pipeline that would stretch from Louisiana to Atlanta's suburbs. A bill to fast-track the construction failed in the Legislature last year, but the project is still moving forward.

Some say the state should have done more.

Democrats said the state should have warned the public about the tight gas supply sooner, and should have been quicker to implement anti-gouging protection. And Porter, the House leader, said legislators should dedicate more funding for alternative transportation by allowing a penny of the gas sales tax to fund mass transit.

"We're lucky it was a better case scenario, not a worst case scenario," Porter said. "But we weren't prepared either way."

Tom Smith, a finance professor at Emory University's Goizueta Business School, said legislators should tighten gouging rules and draft firm plans to take to the airwaves to soothe panicky residents and encourage them to telecommute amid the crisis.

"It's times like these where you have to give people incentives to behave in ways that are counterintuitive," said Tom Smith, a finance professor at Emory University's Goizueta Business School. "You have to convince them to buy less gas."

Some frustrated drivers simply wanted more of a warning.

Lining up at the pump in Marietta, on Sunday, Sept., 28, 2008. (Dave Bender)

Jack Brownfield, who passed 10 Atlanta gas stations this week before finally finding one with one fuel, said state officials should have done more to warn residents about Georgia's precarious gas supply.

"It was predictable," he said.

(The Associated Press)

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the gas crisis.

Motorists fuming over continuing gas shortages

A sign of the times at a pump on West Paces Ferry Road in Atlanta on Sept 28, 2008. (Dave Bender)

Gas lines were long and patience short across Atlanta over the weekend – that is, when there was gas to be had at all. Dave Bender drove from midtown to Marietta, and spoke with motorists at stations along the way.

“It’s crazy – there’s no gas anywhere; North Carolina through Texas…”

That’s Brian, a motorist from New Mexico who’s driving across the southeast.

But right he’s sitting at a station with empty gas pumps on West Paces Ferry Road. That’s a scene echoed throughout the metro Atlanta area.

“…they’ll let you have ten bucks of gas at some places; there’s a lot of this: ‘Sorry – we’re out of gas – you can see the sign’s right there.’”

Suppliers say that’s because they’re still struggling to get enough fuel to gas stations, from Gulf Coast refineries hit by hurricanes weeks ago.

One of the few stations that is open this Sunday afternoon is in Marietta.

Some 200 motorists lining up at a Kroger gas station in Marietta, Ga., on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2008. (Dave Bender)

And station clerk Joel Freley, says the fill-up swarm is keeping his register spinning:

“I made over almost $2,000 in three hours.”

Some 200 vehicles are idling in several lines to get to his eight pump islands – with more desperate drivers pulling in all the time.

One of them is Margaret Batts, who’s hoping to reach the pumps before they shut down for the day:

“Now they only have 400 gallons, so there’s no guarantee I’m even going to get any.”

James Cook of Marietta is sitting ten cars in front of her:

"I have a [Ford] Explorer, this gas tank, and a two gallon gas tank -- yeah, and I don't care what anybody's got to say about it."

Cook almost lost his cool when he thought the car in front of him had drained the last drop:

“He said the tank was outta’ gas, and I’ve been sitting here forever – driving around for three hours looking for gas. I would have flipped out if that was the case.”

Suppliers and state officials are telling drivers like Cook to be patient: it’ll likely take a few more weeks before fuel supplies are replenished.

Lining up at the pump in Marietta, on Sunday, Sept., 28, 2008. (Dave Bender)

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the gas shortage.

Gas supplies limited

When it comes to filling up with gas these days it's a mixed bag. People in some parts of the state have ample supplies, while others are waiting in line to fill up their tanks, In some cases stations are running out.

People in Georgia get their gas from different places. Gas in Savannah comes in at the port, while gas in places like Macon, Augusta, and Atlanta comes from pipelines. Those pipelines are fed by refineries in Louisiana and Texas. Some refineries remain shut down in the wake of two recent hurricanes.

Refineries should come back on line over the next few weeks, but for now supplies are tight. Jim Tudor is with the Georgia Association of Convenience Stores. He says consumers can help by not topping off their tanks.

"If you have three-quarters of a tank of gas, and you pass three gas stations and you automatically feel the need that you've got to go fill up that quarter of a tank just to feel better, that creates real challenges in the marketplace because it's never been designed that everybody can go around with a full tank of gas."

The state is trying to help out by allowing more fuel to be brought in to Atlanta, increasing the number of hour's gas haulers can be on the road, and allowing them to deliver heavier loads.

Gas shortages still widespread

Motorist fills up Hummer at a station in midtown Atlanta, Sept. 22, 2008. (Dave Bender)

Gas stations in much of the southeast are having a tough time getting enough fuel. Many have temporarily closed, and cars lined up at the pump are a not uncommon sight.

Atlanta, Nashville, and Tallahassee, are among other cities in the region, reporting closures or limited fuel supplies.

Motorist Tate Nichols, who lives in Atlanta suburb Stone Mountain, says he’s seen the biggest problems in town:

“Generally, out in my area, I haven’t had any problem finding gas - I have, in midtown today run across a couple of empty stations that do not have gas - but I found one within two minutes of looking that did have gas.”

State and industry officials say one factor behind the shortage are interrupted supplies from refineries in the Gulf of Mexico. Many closed for the duration of hurricanes Gustav and Ike.

And, an Atlanta law requiring stations to use cleaner-burning fuel means gas can't be easily diverted from better-supplied areas.

Governor Sonny Perdue and other officials here say they expect fuel supplies to return to normal later this week.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the gas crisis.

Georgia agriculture commissioner says gas pump inspectors are short staffed

The state budget crunch is hitting those folks who inspect the gas pumps across Georgia.

Complaints against gas stations who are allegedly shorting customers typically go up along with the gas prices.

There were more than 1100 complaints last year.

And that's consuming the time of the Georgia Department of Agriculture's inspectors, who officials say are already short-staffed.

That's taking time away from routine inspections, which can prevent or identify problems with the pumps, says Tommy Irvin, the state agriculture commissioner. And problems with the pumps can result in discrepancies between the price and the amount of gas coming from the pump.

"We're understaffed to the point that I don't think we're able to give the people what they want," says Irvin. "What we're faced with when you give 80 percent time allotted for your employees for checking complaints, you have 20 percent of your time left to do routine inspections. That's not as frequent as it needs to be."

But there's a hiring freeze for state employees. And Governor Sonny Perdue and Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle are calling for possible budget cuts this year ranging from 3.5 percent to ten percent.

The agriculture department has a hotline for people suspecting a problem with a gas pump. That number is (404) 656-3605.

Atlanta: Pain at the pump

Motorist fills up Hummer at a station in midtown Atlanta. (file/Dave Bender)

Gas stations in parts of Georgia and the South continue to run out fuel as worried drivers keep filling their tanks. The problem is especially bad in Atlanta.

It’s a hit and miss situation in Atlanta for people who need gas. Long lines form as soon as a station gets a delivery and empties out within hours. Eric Rockcliff who has a Ford Expedition stays in close contact with friends these days:

“I set my alarm to 2:45 am and headed out look for gas. “

Rockcliff got up at 3 am one night and found gas in his neighborhood. Through networking and texting with friends he knew that QT stations were likely to have gas:

“The one closest to my house, even at 3 am line down the street in both directions.”

Rockcliff knew of another QT down the street and got lucky… no lines.

This hit and miss situation, officials say, is caused by a shortage of supply from gulf refineries still reeling from hurricane shut downs. They warn it could be a couple of weeks before things are back to normal.

Officials blame slow supply from gulf refineries still working to get up to full capacity after 2 hurricanes this season.

Click here for more GPB News reports about the gas crisis.

The drive towards less driving

Brent Cranfield telecommutes from his home in Marietta, Ga., one day a week, saving 30 or 40 miles on his car once a week. (Stanley Leary, AP)

Brent Cranfield can thank his boss for saving him money at the pump.

With gas prices so high, Georgia House Speaker Glenn Richardson is letting staffers telecommute one day a week this summer. For Cranfield, who works in the communications office, that means one less trip each week in his Ford Explorer from suburban Marietta to downtown Atlanta and back — saving more than $25 a month on his 16- to 17-mile commute. Cranfield plans to use the savings to help buy a more fuel-efficient car:

"I'm actually waiting for the '09 Camrys to come out so I can try to grab an '08 and get some of that initial sticker price taken off of it."

Some employers are reconsidering the traditional five-days-in-the-office pattern as the national average price for a gallon of gas hovers around $4. The idea is to whittle down commuting costs for workers by allowing them to work from home or switch to four days of 10 hours each.

Then there are more recent gas spike-inspired experimenters — many of them public employers — like at the Georgia Capitol.

"With gas prices exceeding $3.50 a gallon and no end in sight to the increases I want to try and do something to help you with that burden," Richardson wrote in an April staff memo.

This week, the U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation requiring the head of each federal agency to set policies allowing qualified workers to work from home or another convenient location. Giving relief from high gas prices was one factor cited by the sponsor, Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill.

Savings can add up fast. Santa Clara, Calif.-based Sun estimates that its more than 18,000 employees who can choose to work at home or the nearest office avoid buying 135 gallons of gas a year, which at $4 a gallon would save $540 each. Deborah Bryan, a program manager for IBM in Boulder, Colo., who switched to telecommuting in April, said she now spends $88 to fill up her Ford Expedition every third week, instead of weekly.

Millions of American workers cannot telecommute because they build houses, serve food, mow lawns, treat patients or perform other jobs tied to specific locations. Some companies have responded with programs ranging from van-pooling to bike-sharing.

Another alternative is compressing the five-day work week into four, 10-hour days. Condensed work weeks are the most popular program for employers trying to reduce workers' commuting costs, according to a recent survey by Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a job placement consulting group.

(The Associated Press)

High gas prices mean more break-downs

More people are running out of gas because high fuel price, and that's taxing the state Department of Transportation. Highway Emergency Response Operators – or HEROs -- are getting 20 calls per shift on average to help people who say they're out of gas. HEROs can give a stranded motorist up to a gallon of gas to help get them to the nearest gas station.

State failed to enforce gas chamber law

The Georgia Department of Agriculture has been found in contempt of court for failing to enforce a law banning using gas chambers at animal shelters. The 1990 Georgia Humane Euthanasia Act calls for lethal injection to be used in the vast majority of cases when euthanizing dogs and cats. The law allows counties that were using carbon monoxide gas in 1990 to continue using their gas chambers, but not to replace them. Cobb County’s animal shelter installed a gas chamber in 1995. State inspectors admit they knew about the chamber when they checked the facility earlier this year.

Elba Island LNG gets go-ahead

Energy regulators have approved plans to expand a Liquified Natural Gas terminal in Savannah and build a new pipeline.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's approval upsets environmentalists, who worry about spills, explosions and ship collisions. Judy Jennings of the Sierra Club says, the federal agency did not do a good enough job questioning the need for such risk.

"This final environmental impact statement says, 'This seems to be the less impact simply because the infrastructure's already here,'" Jennings says. "I think we need to ask ourselves, 'Is this the appropriate infrastructure for this day and time and is there a better alternative out there?'"

The agency's approval allows Southern Natural Gas to go forward with plans to double the amount of gas stored at its terminal on Elba Island on the Savannah River. It also wants to cut a 2-hundred-mile long route down the coast to transport the gas elsewhere.

The Environmental Impact Statement prepared by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission isn't the last word on Elba Island. If the final okay is given, perhaps later this year, two new 12-story gas tanks could be operational on the Savannah River by 2010.

Heating grants ok'ed for poor households

The Public Service Commission has approved 6.6 million dollars in grants to help pay the winter natural gas bills of over 26,000 low-income Georgians. Grants of up to $250 will be provided to households on the Atlanta Gas Light system from the Universal Service Fund.

The cost of natural gas has increased dramatically over the last several years. This increase is a substantial problem for all consumers. But, it is especially difficult for low income consumers and senior citizens on fixed incomes," according to PSC Commissioner Angela Speir.

"While the increases may be beyond our control, we do have the ability to help Georgia families and mitigate the problem using the USF. Assisting low-income residential consumers in times of emergency is one of the primary uses of the fund.”

In the last 10 years since deregulation began, the PSC has distributed more than 59 million dollars in refunds and grants to help low-income customers and senior citizens pay their bills. Deregulation has allowed natural gas retailers to market service through Atlanta Gas Light's system, getting service to most customers in Georgia.

Gas Stations in NW Georgia Limiting Fuel Purchases

Several leading fuel analysts believe gas prices will return to pre-Hurricane Ike levels beginning Tuesday. These predictions are based on returning supply as oil production gets back online in the Houston area.

However, in parts of Georgia, some gas station owners in Georgia say they expect new fuel supplies next week.

One east Rome gas station owner says "We just don't have the gas to last much longer."

Many stations in the Rome area are limiting purchases to five gallons. Most stations in the area are charging 3.99 a gallon.

Hurricane Ike is already being dubbed the forgotten storm. While damage to refineries has been lighter than expected, the total cost of Ike is projected to be over 22 billion dollars.

Meanwhile, criticism of FEMA is mounting as residents try to return home after Ike.

Gas theft on the rise

Auto owners beware. Thefts are on the rise. And it’s not your car you need to be worried about, it’s your gas. Police are announcing an increase in gas tank tapping, in which criminals drill into or pierce gas tanks to siphon the pricey petroleum out. Trucks, SUVs and plastic gas tanks are the highest at risk because of easy access. It's not just cars that are being affected. Restaurants in California and Kansas are also reporting stolen cooking oil worth thousands of dollars.

State Fines 30 Ga. Gas Stations for Price Gouging

More than 30 Georgia gas stations have paid fines to the state office of consumer affairs over alleged price gouging in the wake of gulf coast hurricanes last fall.

Some stations have to pay up to $10,000 in fines to the state, while others must refund money to customers who can prove they bought gas during the price spike.

The list includes a $20,000 fine against nine Tennessee-based Pilot travel center stations.

The stations are among 200 the state is investigating over complaints of unfairly raising gas prices when hurricanes shuttered several gulf coast oil refineries and left several southern states without enough gas.

Under state law, businesses have to prove they were making the same profit with their elevated prices as they were before the governor activated the anti-gouging statute.

(AP)

State officials investigate gas price gouging

State officials are beginning to investigate complaints of price gouging at numerous gas stations across Georgia. This comes in the wake of Hurricane Ike’s trek through the Gulf and Texas over the weekend.

Through late this morning, the Governor’s Office of Consumer Affairs says they had received 80 complaints of unreasonable spikes in prices since 7pm Friday. The calls have come in from all parts of the state, and about different companies’ stations.

Early Friday night, the Governor issued an executive order against price gouging. Its aim is to make sure the prices people are paying are in-line with what retailers pay. Over the weekend some drivers around the state saw spikes of over $5.00 a gallon at certain stations, along with some stations running out of gas.

According to the AAA fuel gauge report this morning , the average price in Georgia for a gallon of regular unleaded was $4.16--a rise of 16-cents from Sunday.

The brunt of Hurricane Ike missed the biggest concentration of oil and gas refineries in the Gulf, with damage not as severe as feared. Experts predict gas prices to stabilize this week.

Georgia lawmakers back Bush on drilling

Georgia lawmakers largely support President Bush's call to lift a long-standing ban on offshore oil drilling, including off the state's coast.

All nine of Georgia's Republican congressmen, including both senators, back the proposal. Three of six Democrats also support it, along with Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue.

The new push for drilling is a response to increasingly urgent complaints from constituents about $4-a-gallon gasoline.

Many experts, including Energy Department forecasters, predict that offshore supplies would amount to a drop in the global bucket and would have little effect on gas prices. But drilling supporters say no one really knows how much oil is out there and that Congress can no longer ignore it.

"People all too often want to say ... 'not in my backyard.' But as a nation in a fuel crisis, we simply cannot afford to take any option off the table," said Rep. Phil Gingrey, R-Marietta. "We're not talking about setting up an oil rig on the sandbar where you collect seashells. We're talking about responsible exploration."

President Bush on Monday lifted an executive ban that his father put in place in 1990 that prohibits offshore drilling in most parts of the country. He is pressing Congress to lift a similar legislative ban.

Based on studies done 25 years ago, the Interior Department estimates that 18 billion barrels of recoverable oil likely will be found beneath coastal waters now off limits. The U.S. consumes about 8 billion barrels per year.

In a report last year, the Energy Department forecasting arm said it would take until 2030 before offshore production really got going. Even then, the report said, "because oil prices are determined on the international market ... any impact on average wellhead prices is expected to be insignificant."

Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Lithonia, said the benefits are "not worth the risk."

"Every week I advise constituents that there is no easy fix and we will not be returning to the era of cheap gas and oil," he said.

Rep. David Scott, D-Atlanta, said that while he might support limited new coastal drilling — such as what Congress opened recently in the Gulf of Mexico — Republicans are missing the point by focusing on oil.

"We must find substitutes for oil and natural gas so that crises such as this do not occur again," he said.

But Scott and Johnson are in the minority among Georgia lawmakers, along with Rep. John Lewis, D-Atlanta, who has long opposed new drilling.

The rest of the delegation backs offshore development, including Democrats John Barrow of Savannah, Sanford Bishop of Albany and Jim Marshall of Macon.

Republican Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson, who have been trying to broker a bipartisan energy compromise recently, said Congress can no longer ignore potential resources. Even if offshore production would play only a bit part in a broad energy portfolio, Isakson said, making it available would influence market forces that are driving up prices.

"Those who speculate on the future prices would understand that the United States has finally had enough," he said on the Senate floor Tuesday.

Supporters also say oil rigs would be so far off the coast that beachgoers wouldn't see them.

Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, R-Grantville, said the new production also could become a major revenue source for the state, as it has been in Louisiana and other Gulf states, which get a share of government royalties.

Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Savannah, said domestic production is "step one."

"It's just like dieting we need to reduce intake and increase output," he said.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the gas crisis and energy issues.

(The Associated Press)

Mineral rights at issue in Northwest Georgia

A natural gas discovery in Alabama has Northwest Georgia officials warning citizens to do their research before selling the mineral rights of their land.

Energy companies are trying to buy up land in Floyd and Chattooga counties following the opening of a natural gas field in northeast Alabama.

Officials urge anyone confronted with offers to buy mineral rights on their land to seek legal advice before signing any contract.

According to the Rome News-Tribune, the energy companies are offering as much as five-hundred dollars per acre for a five year lease of the mineral rights. But local officials warn that mineral rights apply to anything that is in the ground, not just pockets of natural gas.

Officials say property owners may also not realize that a five year lease could last a lot longer. Under the terms of some contracts, a natural gas find would automatically extend the lease until the well stops producing.

The state of Georgia does not regulate most shallow drilling.

Ga. cyclists beat gas prices with 42-mile commute

Barry Lord is reluctant to admit it, but there are mornings when he can't stand the thought of riding his bike to work -- those mornings when the thermometer is pushing 100 degrees, when his 45-year-old legs are aching and his car is beckoning.

Still, he stands outside his north Georgia home most weekday mornings, bracing for his commute: A 42-mile round trip across winding rural roads, past farms and stores, through remote stretches and busy intersections.

For Lord, who has a perfectly functioning car sitting unused in his driveway, and his friend Michael Elliott, who rides with him most mornings, hopping on a bike instead has them burning calories instead of fuel.

"We enjoy riding," says Elliott. "And we enjoy the opportunity not to put gas in your tank."

The two figure riding a few days a week helps them each save $20 to $30 a week. More than that, though, they appreciate the intangibles of their rigorous schlep to the office each morning across north Georgia -- like the built-in workout and the feeling of accomplishment after every ride.

Their trips evolved slowly, starting with a 14-mile exercise loop during lunch breaks. Lord first scouted the route last summer, and the two began riding months before gas prices rose to $4 a gallon.

At work, they've gotten their share of shrugs and bemused looks, but they've offered others a dose of inspiration. One co-worker has enthusiastically followed their lead, buying a bike and starting to ride on her own.

Each morning the commute begins with a certain calming ritual around 7:30 a.m. The two grab a bite to eat, don bicycle pants and sleek helmets, fill plastic bottles with water or sports drinks and top off lean rubber tires with air.

Their ride starts out on flat, lonely country roads. This early, there are few cars in this neck of the woods, and motorists either quickly pass the cyclists or drive patiently behind them.

As they pedal down roads lined with grazing cows, the stench can get overbearing. Elliott, lunging forward amid a particularly painful stretch of chicken coops, makes a bonus out of the stink.

"It keeps you motivated," he says.

The high point of the ride -- really, the low one -- is a dip in the road as they speed across a bridge spanning the Chattahoochee River.

From there the route becomes more difficult -- and more crowded. They converge on busier roads and a long line of cars gathers behind, some drivers flashing their brights and honking horns. When the narrow road opens into a passing lane, the cars zoom by, with one driver flashing the pair a nasty gesture.

They hit the home stretch and coast into Ethicon, a medical device company with an office in Cornelia, Ga. They leave a car there just in case the weather turns rough or an emergency arises, but today it's become a closet of sorts, where the two store their bikes and clothes.

The exhausting ride is over, and the two are dripping with sweat. They look down at Elliott's electronic counter to see how they did: Their top speed was more than 46 mph and their ride took about an hour.

"Let's face it, we're choosing a route that's as environmentally friendly as can be," Elliott says. "Carpooling is great, but this is as clean as you can get."

But was it worth it? They've still got to shower and change at an office locker room before they both begin their day of work as engineers. And the same tiresome route awaits them for the ride home -- except this time the sun will shine hotter.

"Yeah, it's worth it," says Lord. "If you were looking at someone who was doing it for sheer economics, it won't be. But I enjoy bicycling anyways, so it's a double benefit."

He chuckles.

"Now, it would be a lot more enjoyable if it was only 10 miles. But it isn't."

(The Associated Press)

Click here for more GPB News coverage on gas proces, and the effects on Georgia.

Business groups fighting coal plant ruling

Georgia business groups are appealing a judge's decision to halt the construction of a power plant, warning that the ruling could stall other energy plants and hamper economic development throughout the state.

The Georgia Chamber of Commerce warned Wednesday that the decision could have far-reaching implications, driving up energy costs and preventing the construction of natural gas, oil and biofuel plants across the state.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Thelma Wyatt Cummings Moore's ruling relied on the Supreme Court's decision last year that carbon dioxide could be regulated as a pollutant, and environmental activists said it set a precedent.

In the ruling, Moore contended that federal air pollution laws required permits for all pollutants that could be regulated under the federal Clean Air Act - including carbon dioxide. The gas, which is blamed for global warming, is not currently regulated.

The decision halted the construction of the $2 billion Longleaf Energy Plant, which would become Georgia's first new coal-fired plant in more than 20 years.

Environmental groups praised the decision, saying it will help them stave off 30 other coal plants now in active litigation. At the very least, they said, it's a sign that energy companies will face more challenging legal hurdles over coal-fired power projects.

The plant is expected to create more than 100 full-time jobs and give millions of dollars in tax revenues to Early County, where almost a quarter of the 12,000 residents live in poverty. It would power more than a half-million homes through utilities in Georgia, Alabama and Florida.

Each year it would emit as much as 9 million tons of carbon dioxide, worrying critics who say it could cause health problems in a county that already suffers above-average air pollution.

But the chamber contends the ruling went too far, sidestepping the efforts of federal lawmakers and regulators debating whether to regulate the gas.

The chamber claims that the ruling could delay the construction of any "sizable" new building that relies on natural gas for heat - from office buildings to malls.

"It would be devastating," said George Israel, the chamber's chief executive. "It would cause delays in almost everything, from hospital expansions to school auditoriums."

Israel told the Albany Herald newspaper:

“We’re shocked at the decision.”

“If this ruling is allowed to stand, it will not only hinder the ability to supply power to the state, it will have a major negative impact on future economic development in Georgia.”

Israel, local Albany officials and a lawyer for LS Power met with the newspaper on Tuesday to lay out their opposition to the ruling.

The court will decide by Aug. 29 whether to hear the appeal. The Sierra Club, which filed the lawsuit, said the ruling does not affect alternative energy projects.

"Georgia needs to be on the front of the clean energy economy," said Patty Durand, the group's president. "It's too bad the Georgia chamber chooses not to be a leader of a change that's inevitable."

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the battle over the Longleaf Power Station.

(With The Associated Press)

Harvesting gas from Georgia landfills

Georgia is set to get its second-ever plant to harvest methane gas from landfills. The Athens Banner-Herald reports the plant would be built in Winder near the Oak Grove and Speedway landfills. Winder would sell methane gas to the plant, which would harvest it to turn into natural gas to re-sell to city residents. The project is still in permitting phase but could be up and running by 2010. It’s projected to be able to heat 20,000 homes for the next 20 years. The only other plant like it in Georgia is set to open next year in DeKalb County.