Georgia Power faces scrutiny over secretive fossil fuel expansion plans
Georgia Power’s plan to meet soaring electricity demand remains opaque, raising alarms among environmental advocates and tech companies that the utility may prioritize fossil gas over clean alternatives.
Jeff St. John reports for Canary Media.
In short:
- Georgia Power’s 20-year integrated resource plan (IRP) reveals little about how it will add 9.5 gigawatts of new electricity generation, fueling concerns of a hidden expansion of fossil gas infrastructure.
- Environmental groups, consumer advocates, and major tech firms like Microsoft and Amazon warn the utility's lack of transparency could rush regulators into approving expensive, polluting projects without full public review.
- Georgia Power has already applied for permits to build nearly 3 GW of gas-fired turbines at an existing coal plant, despite omitting these plans from its IRP.
Key quote:
“It’s very confusing, and it’s very concerning for us to be planning a future of growth without knowing how we’re going to meet it.”
— Jennifer Whitfield, senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center
Why this matters:
The quiet expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure in Georgia and elsewhere could set back national climate goals and burden ratepayers for decades. Data centers driving demand spikes are energy-intensive, and if their power needs are met by gas and coal rather than renewables, it risks locking in massive greenhouse gas emissions at a time when clean alternatives like solar and battery storage are increasingly cost-competitive. Georgia Power’s monopoly status gives it control over regional electricity supply, meaning its choices affect not just emissions, but also air quality, energy costs, and public health across the Southeast. Decisions made now will shape the state's energy mix and its resilience to climate-driven extremes. A lack of transparency threatens fair oversight and could saddle communities with the environmental and economic consequences of a fossil-fueled future.
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