Published 11:00 am Saturday, February 21, 2026
By Emily Wright
With government support, small towns like Milledgeville can expand local renewable energy capacity, create jobs, and strengthen community resilience in the face of climate change. Programs envisioned under U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff’s “Solar Energy Manufacturing for American Act” and the “Inflation Reduction Act,” which aid rural communities, must be restored and fully funded to ensure these initiatives can scale nationwide. 
In 2024, Milledgeville, Georgia saw a project that was a first of its kind for small towns. After receiving a free certificate course in solar panel system design and installation, ten residents installed 38 solar panels at the city’s Lamar F. Hamm Water Treatment Plant. 
Dr. Nicholas Creel, a business and law ethics professor at the Georgia College & State University, developed the course alongside Dr. Hasitha Mahabaduge, an associate professor of physics, after receiving a $100,000 grant from the Partnership for Inclusive Innovation. Students, who were all adult residents of Milledgeville, learned the traditional solar panel installation process alongside lessons in entrepreneurship-focused business practice. 
The installation at the Water Treatment Plant was part of a larger mission to integrate more green energy into the facility, according to at-that-time City Manager Hank Griffeth. And professors Mahabaduge and Creel say that this course is a pilot program for what they hope will become a recurring opportunity for community members. This is also part of a larger trend toward solar energy development in small towns with its surging energy capacity and projected growth. 
According to the United States Department of Energy, solar energy is expected to rise from 4% of the nation’s total energy production in 2020 to 45% by 2050, with most development projects occurring in rural communities. And this kind of development carries significant impacts for small towns like Milledgeville. 
Findings demonstrate that solar energy systems enable economic empowerment, job creation, improved healthcare, and enhanced education opportunities–like GCSU’s certificate course for residents. The deployment of this growing energy source creates job opportunities in installation, maintenance, and manufacturing, which both stimulates local economies and provides livelihoods. Furthermore, it encourages skill development, ensuring citizens are equipped for success in an increasingly green economy. 
Beyond its economic impacts, solar development promotes economic stability and gives small towns a role in the global effort to combat climate change. The utilization of solar energy reduces greenhouse gas emission by decreasing dependence on fossil fuels. 
Additionally, it supports communities facing climate-related challenges. Solar water pumps are cleaner and can ensure a much more consistent supply of clean water, something especially impactful for regions prone to flooding or drought. 
This movement toward renewable energy development has been recognized state and federal leaders, alike. In 2021 Senator Ossoff introduced the “Solar Energy Manufacturing for American Act.” This bill supported a new tax credit for the production and sale of certain solar equipment, incentivizing the entire supply chain and creating new jobs. Most impactful, it reduced the cost of solar energy for rural towns and aided in funding solar infrastructure through rural grant programs. 
This bill was eventually passed as part of former President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a landmark bipartisan law which allocated nearly $400 billion for climate and energy initiatives, such as renewable energy development. This included the creation of domestic clean energy manufacturing jobs. 
Upon entering office 2025, however, President Trump has weakened a lot of the IRA’s renewable energy provisions. Most notably, he defunded the “Solar for All” program, which rescinded billions in clean energy grants for rural regions across the country. Alongside his phasing out of key tax credits, this has created uncertainty for rural communities, with many halting projects altogether. 
The certification course offered to Milledgeville residents is one of many private grant-funded solar energy initiatives across the state and country. However, to maximize the positive economic and environmental potential of solar energy development, sustained public investment is essential. 
—Emily Wright is a senior political science and philosophy major at Georgia & State University.

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