Georgia Power has received approval from the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) to certify five new utility-scale solar site power purchase agreements (PPAs). These projects will support all customers and supply the company’s Clean and Renewable Energy Subscription (CARES) 2023 program. The total capacity of these new solar facilities is 1,068 megawatts (MW), and they will be built and maintained by third-party companies selected through a competitive bidding process as part of the CARES 2023 Request for Proposal (RFP), which was previously approved in the company’s 2022 Integrated Resource Plan Final Order.
The CARES program enables eligible commercial and industrial customers to advance their sustainability goals by subscribing to a share of renewable energy production. Georgia Power reports that demand for these subscriptions continues to grow among customers with sustainability objectives.
Wilson Mallard, director of renewable development for Georgia Power, stated, “Renewable RFPs, such as the CARES 2023 RFP, are designed to procure valuable renewable energy that helps to diversify Georgia Power’s generation mix and increase reliability. Our planning models project that these resources will deliver benefits to customers long-term. The five projects we selected are economical and we expect they will provide energy and capacity benefits to the system and the most value for all Georgia Power customers.”
The five PPAs were chosen following a competitive solicitation overseen by an independent evaluator along with PSC staff. The solar facilities will be located across several counties in Georgia:
– Mitchell County: A 25-year PPA providing 260 MW of solar capacity.
– Coffee County: A 30-year PPA providing 200 MW of solar capacity.
– Wilkinson County: A 20-year PPA providing 183 MW of solar capacity paired with a 91.5 MW battery storage system.
– Jefferson County: A 20-year PPA providing 200 MW of solar capacity.
– Laurens County: A 20-year PPA providing 225 MW of solar capacity.
Georgia Power continues efforts to expand its renewable resources portfolio through competitive RFP processes. This approach aims to maintain flexibility in changing market conditions while increasing carbon-free energy available for customers.
Recently, Georgia Power issued its CARES 2025 RFP after receiving approval in the same IRP Final Order as CARES 2023. Bids were due in August for this round, targeting up to 2,000 MW of utility-scale solar including any remaining unfilled resources from the previous program cycle. Projects selected under this round could begin commercial operation as early as 2028.
The company’s latest Integrated Resource Plan, approved in July, calls for procurement of up to an additional 4,000 MW of renewable resources by the year 2035. An initial target seeks procurement of at least 1,100 MW through future competitive solicitations beginning in 2026. If realized, these plans would bring Georgia Power’s total renewable resource portfolio close to approximately 11,000 MW by 2035.
