Georgia Power extends deadline for PSC to consider its contract with OpenAI

Georgia Power secured an extension from the Public Service Commission (PSC) to allow additional time for staff to review its energy contract with data center operator OpenAI. The original deadline of August 14 was extended to August 26, after PSC staff indicated they were prepared to file objections to the contract terms unless changes were made. The agreement concerns the power supply for OpenAI's planned $20 billion data center campus in Effingham County, which is projected to launch in 2028 and will require 3.2 gigawatts of energy from Georgia Power.

During a public meeting, PSC Commissioners Peter Hubbard and Alicia Johnson voiced concerns about the lack of transparency and the need for more active commission oversight. Hubbard specifically called for "sufficient financial guardrails" on the contract, citing it as a "big, risky bet" for ratepayers. Johnson emphasized the need for "equal amount of rigor and scrutiny" for a customer requiring such significant energy. Public commenters, including Jeff Beauvais of One Hundred Miles and Mark Woodall of the Sierra Club in Georgia, also pressed for greater transparency, longer review periods, and raised environmental and economic concerns regarding the power generation methods and potential impact on ratepayers. The contract terms provided to the public were heavily redacted, further fueling calls for openness.