Georgia Power has filed a request with the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) to certify about 9,900 megawatts (MW) of new energy resources. This move is aimed at meeting the increasing energy needs of the state as its population and economic activity grow. The bulk of these resources—around 8,000 MW—were selected from an “all-source” request for proposals (RFP), which was approved by the PSC in the 2022 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). Over the past year, Georgia Power worked with PSC staff and an independent evaluator to assess bids and select options that are both economical and efficient for dispatchable generation and storage. These projects are scheduled to address projected winter capacity requirements between 2029 and 2031.
The company’s proposal includes power purchase agreements from existing sources, new company-owned natural gas generation, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and BESS combined with solar power. In addition to these long-term plans, Georgia Power also submitted a separate filing seeking approval for an extra 1,886 MW of supplemental resources. These additional resources would help meet nearer-term energy demands not addressed by the all-source RFP and would come from similar sources: PPAs from existing facilities, new BESS construction through PPAs, and company-owned BESS paired with solar.
“Every day, around the clock, during periods of extreme heat, extreme cold and everything in between, our teams are working to keep reliable energy flowing for millions of Georgians,” said Rick Anderson, senior vice president and senior production officer for Georgia Power. “That includes the culmination of years of proactively planning for filings like this that our generation plant teams and many others work diligently on in selecting the right future resources. This helps ensure that customers have the energy they need well into the future. The diverse mix of resources we have proposed to the Georgia PSC will help us meet the needs of a growing Georgia with reliable and resilient energy while delivering long-term value for all of our customers.”
The filings detail five new combined cycle natural gas units totaling 3,692 MW at sites across Georgia:
– Two units at Plant Bowen in Bartow County (1,482 MW)
– One unit at Plant McIntosh in Effingham County (757 MW)
– Two units at Plant Wansley in Heard County (1,453 MW)
Plant Bowen is currently a coal-fired facility capable of producing over 3,300 MW; Plant Wansley’s coal operations were retired in 2022 as part of earlier IRP decisions.
Georgia Power is also expanding its use of battery storage technology throughout the state. Currently under construction are 765 MW of new BESS located in Bibb, Lowndes, Floyd, and Cherokee counties. The latest filings seek approval for ten more BESS facilities across eight sites with a total capacity exceeding 3 GW. Sites include expansions or additions at Plants Bowen (500 MW), Hammond (192.5 MW), McIntosh (250 MW), South Hall (250 MW), Thomson (500 MW), Wadley (260 MW paired with solar), Wansley (500 MW), and Yates (570 MW).
In addition to standalone storage projects, two new solar-plus-storage systems are planned: one in Laurens County combining 200 MW each of solar panels and batteries; another near former coal-fired Plant Mitchell in Dougherty County combining 150 MW each.
The company’s current strategy continues efforts begun after previous IRPs approved by regulators [https://psc.ga.gov/], including ongoing additions to natural gas capacity at other plants such as McIntosh and Yates.
Overall carbon emissions from Georgia Power have been reduced by more than half since 2007 due to changes like these [https://www.georgiapower.com/company/news-center.html]. Eleven further PPAs totaling nearly 2.8 GW would allow purchases from other upcoming battery or gas facilities statewide.
For more details on Georgia Power’s plans or information about its integrated resource planning process visit www.GeorgiaPower.com.
