1. Exploratory

Hazelhurst, GA is home to over 500 acres of solar panels due to Georgia emerging as a national leader in the utility of solar panels, according to NPR Georgia ranks among top 10 states for solar energy generation, but despite not having much policies like renewable portfolio standards Hazelhurst project has panels covering over 100 of acres providing enough energy to power thousands of homes.(Hsu & Kelly, 2019)

2. Diagnostic

The adding of 500 acres of solar panels has occurred due to the combination of different motives, such as declining cost of solar panels, the supportive contracts with Georgia Power, as well as the willingness of rural counties like Hazelhurst to lease large plots of land .Georgia power has added immensely to renewable energy as part of diversifying its energy while local land owners see financial opportunities. As well as public opinion in George has shifted in favor of clean energy as the communities have recognized the economic development benefits.(Hsu & Kelly, 2019)

3. Cause and Effect

If a large solar panel farm, such as the one in Hazelhurst, continue to expand the benefits are created like job creations during construction periods as well, as the land owners getting money for the use of there land. A very important thing is that it reduces the reliance on fossil fuels which lowers the carbon emission.If solar development was to be slowed or to be blocked George would miss big opportunities to reduce the carbon emission, the creations of new jobs, as well as stops the economic growth of the state of Georgia.(Hsu & Kelly, 2019)

4. Priority

One of the most important issues is how large scale solar adoptions will change the energy landscape of the south . In Hazelhurst solar farm symbolizes that the renewable energy is not just limited to very sunny states such as California but that you and George can really thrive.(Hsu & Kelly, 2019)

5. Application

Personally for me, this has showed that culture and economics do intersect as as we have learned how culture value shape, environmental choices. George’s solar panel farms have still showed that solar power can be succeeded, even without strong, environmental activism, as where I live, we have many solar panels on houses so this applies that solar panels are becoming more of a common thing as a few years ago it was not a common choice of energy (Hsu & Kelly, 2019)

6. Critical

A bigger assumption I had was that political views  will oppose the uses of renewable energy as if it was not to make them money. But learning about the Hazelhurst solar plants in Georgia has proved me otherwise it has showed me how economics such as cheaper solar panels can override ideological ideas that create surprising success stories for renewable energy and success for others.(Hsu & Kelly, 2019)