(a) The legislature finds that it is in the public interest to:

(1) Encourage private investment in renewable energy resources;

(2) Stimulate the economic growth of Georgia; and

(3) Enhance the continued diversification of the energy resources used in Georgia.

(b) The General Assembly further finds and declares that a program to provide distributed generation for eligible cogenerators is a way to encourage private investment in renewable energy resources, stimulate in-state economic growth, enhance the continued diversification of this state’s energy resource mix, and reduce interconnection and administrative costs.