PSC unanimously votes to approve Georgia Power’s data center plan without sufficient customer protections
Five brand new methane gas power plants will support 10GW of new generating capacity
ATLANTA—Today, the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) unanimously voted to approve a historic request by Georgia Power to acquire nearly 10 gigawatts (GW) of new energy capacity to meet the needs of data centers the company claims will need electricity over the next several years. This decision goes against expert claims and the recent testimony of the PSC’s own staff stating that five Hoover Dams’ worth of energy is unnecessary. The approved plan will cost customers an estimated $50-60 billion over the life of the resources. If Georgia Power’s forecast is inaccurate, the bulk of this astronomical cost could be put on existing customers.
To meet supposed demand, the company will dramatically expand its fossil fuel resources, adding five new methane gas-burning units, built by Georgia Power. Those units are planned at Plant Bowen in Bartow County, Plant McIntosh in Effingham County, and Plant Wansley in Heard County and Carroll County.
“Today, commissioners chose to put this $60 billion risk on the backs of everyday Georgians, not Georgia Power. They had the chance to meaningfully protect existing customers, and they did not,” said Bob Sherrier, a staff attorney in SELC’s Georgia office. “Existing customers’ bills are not adequately protected. There currently is not—and may never be—data center customers that need this much energy from Georgia Power. What we do know is that five more methane gas power plants will pollute our state’s air and water for decades to come.”
The plan commissioners approved includes a three-year window where the company says so-called “downward pressure” would offer temporary relief to customers from 2029-2031. However, the plan does not account for the multi-decade commitment of methane gas-burning units or the other costs associated with the company’s request.
“Downward pressure” also does not mean power bills will go down by $8.50. The company has refused to publicly share its methodology behind this estimate. Earlier this year, Georgia Power avoided providing accounting to confirm that it was complying with a similar promise of “downward pressure” made in 2023 when the company requested to build three gas turbines at Plant Yates.
“Public interest groups raised red flags and legitimate concerns about the incredible consumer and environmental risks in this request,” said Thomas Farmer, VP of advocacy for Southface Institute. “We can't risk current customers' bills on the hope data centers will come.”
“Georgians will remember this moment, especially if we’re forced to pay for dirty gas plants built for data centers that never materialize,” said Codi Norred, Executive Director of Georgia Interfaith Power & Light (GIPL) “We’re being asked to risk our health and wellbeing so Georgia Power shareholders can get richer. It’s immoral and unjust.”
Because fuel costs are charged to customers separate from energy rates, methane gas and other fossil fuels leave customers vulnerable to costly utility bill spikes. Georgia Power’s residential customers already pay some of the highest electricity bills in the country. In 2023, there was a $2 billion spike in methane gas and coal costs that resulted in the average residential customer paying an extra $16 a month. In contrast, solar energy has no fuel cost.
Over the past two years, the average residential Georgia Power bill has climbed more than $43 a month. The burden is even heavier for Georgians earning lower incomes, who use about 36% more electricity than their counterparts in other states.
Despite this, Georgia Power and its shareholders have enjoyed growing profits. Georgia Power’s parent Southern Company earned $1.71 billion between July and the end of September, an increase from the $1.54 billion in the same months last year. Southern Company’s profits rose 11.5% in the third quarter compared to the same period last year.
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Georgia Interfaith Power and Light (GIPL) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that inspires and equips communities of faith to organize, implement practical climate solutions, and advocate across Georgia on issues of climate change, environmental justice, and community resilience. Born out of the national Interfaith Power and Light movement, GIPL envisions a Georgia where all people can flourish in a healthy environment, a stable climate, and resilient communities.
The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) is one of the nation’s most powerful defenders of the environment, rooted in the South. With a long track record, SELC takes on the toughest environmental challenges in court, in government, and in our communities to protect our region’s air, water, climate, wildlife, lands, and people. Nonprofit and nonpartisan, the organization has a staff of 200, including more than 130 legal and policy experts, and is headquartered in Charlottesville, Va., with offices in Asheville, Atlanta, Birmingham, Chapel Hill, Charleston, Nashville, Richmond, and Washington, D.C. Learn more at selc.org.
Southface Institute, the oldest 501(c)3 sustainability nonprofit in the Southeast, was established in 1978 by a group of volunteers who identified a need for community-based solutions focused on energy when energy wasn't yet considered an environmental issue. Since then, Southface has collaborated with nonprofits, businesses, builders, developers, universities, government agencies, and communities to deliver sustainability and resiliency solutions that work for everyone. Learn more about how Southface is building sustainably for life at southface.org, and connect on LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Facebook, and YouTube.
REV. JAY HORTON
Communications Manager
Georgia Interfaith Power & Light
Phone: 540.421.6968
Email: jay@gipl.org
TERAH BOYD
Communications Manager (AL/GA)
Southern Environmental Law Center
Phone: 678.234.7990
Email: tboyd@selcga.org
