Georgia Power breaks ground on power plant to help serve data centers

Georgia Power commenced construction on a new energy system at Plant Wansley, situated on the border of Heard and Carroll counties near Carrollton, Georgia. The project includes a 500-megawatt battery storage system and a new 1,500-megawatt combined cycle natural gas plant, which are being developed to address the escalating energy demands from data centers in the state. Kim Greene, CEO and president of Georgia Power, stated that the company has already secured contracts with data centers totaling over 9,000 megawatts, indicating the construction is not speculative. She emphasized that protections are in place to ensure these large-load customers are responsible for the infrastructure costs and that data centers will help stabilize power bills for existing customers. The Public Service Commission (PSC) approved Georgia Power's plan in December to add 10 gigawatts of power capacity to serve the state's growing data center industry. PSC Chairman Jason Shaw confirmed that the agreement mandates data centers, or Georgia Power itself if necessary, to cover the costs of the new infrastructure, safeguarding existing customers from increased expenses. Southern Company, Georgia Power's parent company, projects the battery storage facility to open in 2028 and the natural gas plant in 2029. The Department of Energy (DOE) provided $26.5 billion in federal loan guarantees in February to support this and similar projects in Alabama, marking the largest non-emergency investment of its kind. DOE Deputy Secretary James Danly highlighted the loan's role in providing affordable electricity for future generations and encouraged other states to follow Georgia's investment in its energy grid to support large-load customers.