The Georgia Public Service Commission is set to vote Sept. 17 on Georgia Power’s proposal to burn wood pellets and other organic materials to generate energy and has raised environmental concerns and high costs being passed on to customers.

Several Georgia environmental organizations are pressing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency  to enforce national standards that would prevent Georgia Power from disposing of coal ash waste in a way that pollutes groundwater.

Coal ash is a toxic substance. For years it was haphazardly dumped into rivers and ponds. Within the last 10 years or so, there has been a push to clean...