Georgia Power has submitted a request to the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) for certification of approximately 9,900 megawatts (MW) of new energy resources. The company states that these additions are necessary to meet the projected needs of Georgia’s growing population and economy.
Of the total, about 8,000 MW were selected through an “all-source” request for proposals (RFP), a process approved in the 2022 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). Over the past year, Georgia Power worked with PSC staff and an independent evaluator to assess and choose proposals for dispatchable generation and storage resources. These projects are expected to help meet winter capacity requirements from 2029 through 2031.
The proposed portfolio includes power purchase agreements (PPAs) from existing resources, as well as new company-owned natural gas generation facilities, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and BESS paired with solar. In a separate filing this week, Georgia Power also requested certification for an additional 1,886 MW of supplemental resources to address nearer-term demand not met by the All-Source RFP. This supplemental request involves more PPAs from existing assets and plans for both new BESS construction 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 include a request to certify five new combined cycle natural gas units totaling 3,692 MW across several sites: two units at Plant Bowen in Bartow County (1,482 MW), one unit at Plant McIntosh in Effingham County (757 MW), and two units at Plant Wansley in Heard County (1,453 MW). These plants are part of ongoing efforts by Georgia Power to integrate cleaner natural gas into its energy mix—a strategy that has contributed to reducing carbon emissions by more than 60% since 2007.
Georgia Power is also seeking approval for ten new BESS facilities spread across eight sites statewide with a combined capacity of 3,022.5 MW. Construction is already underway on 765 MW of new BESS installations in Bibb, Lowndes, Floyd, and Cherokee counties. The planned BESS projects aim to improve system reliability by storing excess renewable energy—such as solar—for use during periods when demand is high.
Among other initiatives included in this week’s filings are two solar-plus-storage projects: one in Laurens County combining 200 MW each of solar power and BESS; another near former Plant Mitchell in Dougherty County featuring 150 MW each of solar power and storage.
Additionally, eleven further PPAs totaling 2,821 MW would allow Georgia Power to purchase electricity from various upcoming BESS facilities being built across Georgia as well as natural gas plants.
For more information about Georgia Power’s resource planning process or its current portfolio mix visit www.GeorgiaPower.com.
