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 move is intended to address projected growth in electricity demand across the state.
The majority of these resources—about 8,000 MW—were selected from bids received during an “all-source” request for proposals (RFP). This process was approved as part of the company’s 2022 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). Over the past year, Georgia Power worked with PSC staff and an independent evaluator to select proposals that provide economical and efficient options for dispatchable generation and storage. The proposed construction timelines are designed to meet anticipated winter capacity needs between 2029 and 2031.
The current filing includes power purchase agreements (PPAs) from existing facilities as well as plans for new company-owned natural gas generation, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and combined BESS-plus-solar projects identified through the RFP process.
In addition, following approval of its load forecast in the 2025 IRP earlier this month, Georgia Power filed a separate request with the PSC to certify supplemental resources needed to meet nearer-term energy requirements not covered by the all-source RFP. This second filing seeks approval for an additional 1,886 MW from PPAs involving both existing resources and new BESS construction, along with 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.”
Georgia Power continues its strategy of adding cleaner natural gas capacity to its portfolio. According to company data, this approach has contributed to a reduction in carbon emissions by more than 60% since 2007. Recent additions include new natural gas units at Plant McIntosh and Plant Yates that were previously approved by regulators.
This week’s filings seek certification for five new combined cycle units totaling 3,692 MW at 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).
On battery storage development, construction is underway on 765 MW of BESS across Bibb, Lowndes, Floyd and Cherokee counties. In its latest filings with regulators [link to filing], Georgia Power requests approval for ten additional BESS facilities totaling about 3,022.5 MW located on eight sites statewide—including expansions at existing plants such as Bowen Phases 1 & 2 (500 MW), Hammond Phase 2 (192.5 MW), McIntosh (250 MW), South Hall (250 MW), Thomson (500 MW), Wadley paired with solar under contract (260 MW), Wansley (500 MW), and Yates with two systems totaling 570 MW.
Two planned solar-plus-storage projects would add another combined capacity of up to 350 MW: one site in Laurens County pairing a 200-MW solar system with a matching BESS installation; another near former coal-fired Plant Mitchell in Dougherty County pairing a 150-MW solar system with equivalent battery storage.
Additionally, eleven more PPAs totaling about 2,821 MW would allow purchases from both newly constructed BESS facilities within Georgia as well as natural gas generation assets.
More information about these resource additions can be found on www.GeorgiaPower.com.
