Georgia homeowners and businesses are growing more interested in solar power, the head of the state public service commission says.

Lauren "Bubba" McDonald announced Thursday at the Southern Solar Summit that solar-energy demand has surged 50 percent in the past year. The increase, the Savannah Morning News says, came in Georgia Power Company's Green Energy Program, where consumers and companies can buy blocks of green electricity.

In response to the upswing in solar demand, the utility plans to buy more solar power. The Atlanta Business Chronicle reports this week that Georgia Power Company wants the cap on its solar-energy consumption raised from today's limit of 2.5 megawatts to 6.4 megawatts.

"We're looking to help grow solar in Georgia," the company said to the Chronicle on Wednesday.

Not only does an increase in solar-energy consumption help limit carbon emissions, it reduces the load on Georgia Power Company's grid. Summers in Georgia are hot and humid, and residents' air conditioners are humming in the middle of the day - the same time that solar panels reach their peak output.