Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) has officially announced its approval of Georgia Power’s 2025 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP).
According to certain reports, this final approved plan will make it possible for the company to continue to meet the energy needs of customers, as well as support the state’s projected power demand.
To understand the significance of such a development, we must take into account how, over the next six years, Georgia Power forecasts approximately 8,500 megawatts (MW) of electrical load growth, marking an increase of approximately 2,600 MW in peak demand by the end of 2030, as compared to projections in the 2023 IRP Update.
In respect to this uptick, the 2025 IRP outlines processes with the Georgia PSC to monitor growth, including quarterly filings of Large Load Economic Development Reports and bonus load forecast updates in the coming years.
More on the same would reveal how the stated report includes necessary investments in the company’s generation fleet and transmission system. These investments will help Georgia Power provide its customers with reliable and resilient energy, while simultaneously empowering the company to implement demand-side and customer-focused renewable programs.
Beyond that, the approved plan brings to the fore appropriate “reserve margins” for the company, which is also a critical element of the planning process related to reliable electric service for customers during periods of temporary high demand.
Talk about IRP on a slightly deeper level, we begin from the promise of extended power uprates to reliable, emission-free nuclear units. Thanks to the completion of Plant Vogtle expansion last year, Georgia is now home to the largest generator of clean energy in the U.S.
Keep that in mind, Georgia Power has now received approval to reinvest in Vogtle Units 1 & 2 upgrades to let them deliver an extra 54 MW of carbon-free energy. Not just that, the company has also received approval to proceed with preliminary planning, licensing and engineering for potential future capacity uprates at Hatch Units 1 & 2.
Next up, we have extensions and upgrades to existing power plants. With the new approval, Georgia Power should be able to reinforce its integration of cleaner natural gas, which has already enabled the company to reduce overall carbon emissions by more than 60% since 2007.
As for the key elements here, they include upgrades at Plant McIntosh near Savannah that would add 268 MW worth of natural gas capacity, as well as extended operation of certain coal and natural gas units through at least 2034.
Markedly enough, George Power has also secured approval for the sustained operation of coal-fired units at Plants Bowen and Scherer. This comes after both the facilities have already served customers reliably for decades with 4,000 MW of generating capacity.
The units are among the most advanced coal-fired units in the world, and to make things even better, they also operate state-of-the-art technology to reduce the environmental footprint, including scrubbers, selective catalytic reduction systems and baghouses. These advancements, all in all, have orchestrated a reduction in main air emissions by more than 95% over the past few decades
Another detail worth a mention relates to how the approval in question builds upon Georgia Power’s fleet of hydroelectric generating units using greater investments and upgrades at the Tallulah, Yonah, Bartlett’s Ferry, and North Highlands hydro facilities. For better understanding, units at these plants have not been previously approved for modernization. However, the improvements introduced under 2025 IRP should allow them to operate for at least another 40 years.
Apart from that, it will also enhance the efficiency and integrity of hydro fleet and preserving valuable, dispatchable carbon-free resources for the long-term benefit of customers.
“As our state continues to grow and thrive, the approval of this comprehensive plan helps to ensure we have the resources and programs we need to reliably and economically meet the future energy needs of our customers,” said Kim Greene, chairman, president & CEO, Georgia Power. “The IRP is an incredibly complex and detailed process that brings together people from many backgrounds who are vested in our state’s energy future. I’m grateful to everyone who helped develop this plan.”
