Georgia Power began construction on a new 260 megawatt battery energy storage system in Jefferson County, just outside the City of Wadley, according to a March 31 announcement. The project is located next to an existing solar facility and near transmission infrastructure, and was approved by the Georgia Public Service Commission.
The new battery system is expected to strengthen the electricity grid and support the area’s renewable energy resources. Local officials from the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners and Wadley City Council joined Georgia Power leaders at a groundbreaking event for the project. The event highlighted both the importance of reliable power and potential economic benefits for Jefferson County.
“On behalf of the Jefferson County community, we welcome this Georgia Power project,” said Mitchell McGraw, chairman of the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners. “We’re so proud to have your investment in Jefferson County, and we hope for more in the future.”
The battery energy storage system is designed to dispatch stored energy over four hours and will help capture power generated by renewables during low demand periods for use during peak times such as cold winter mornings. This approach addresses growing power needs identified in Georgia’s 2025 Integrated Resource Plan.
Kerry Bridges, region executive for Georgia Power, said: “At Georgia Power, our collaboration with the Georgia PSC and other stakeholders is key to making necessary investments for a reliable and resilient power grid. With the construction of the 260 MW BESS in Jefferson County, we are able to better serve our customers today and support Georgia’s growth. As we expand our energy mix to include more renewable sources, these batteries will play an invaluable role in helping ensure reliability and flexibility, particularly when renewable sources are not available.”
The Wadley battery project is being built by Burns & McDonnell with completion expected in 2027.
Across Georgia, four additional battery storage facilities totaling 765 megawatts are nearing completion following previous approval from state regulators. Building on these efforts, nine more projects have been approved that will add nearly 3 gigawatts of planned storage at locations across several counties including sites at Plants Bowen, Hammond, McIntosh, Wansley and Yates as well as stand-alone sites in Hall and McDuffie counties.
To further support renewable energy demand statewide, two new solar systems paired with batteries—totaling a combined capacity of 350 megawatts—are also planned for Laurens and Dougherty counties.
