Georgia Power has filed an update to its 2023 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) seeking approval to deploy additional generation resources including expansion of renewable energy resources, BESS, new and expanded distributed energy resources (DER), demand response programs and new and existing conventional power plants for the state’s economic growth and help provide clean, safe, reliable and affordable power for customers.
The company is also looking for approval of the transmission infrastructure necessary to support these new generation resources and ensure the continued reliability and resiliency of Georgia's electric system.
The filing includes the following requests:
- Certification of a PPA with Mississippi Power.
- Certification of a PPA with Santa Rosa Energy Center for power from an existing natural gas-fired combined cycle generating asset located in Pace, Florida.
- Expansion of the Company's implementation of BESS, including BESS co-located with existing solar.
- Construction of new solar resources to be co-located with new BESS.
- Construction of new simple-cycle combustion turbines at Georgia Power's Plant Yates. The company is proposing to locate the new units at Plant Yates to leverage its current infrastructure and recognize operational efficiencies.
- Addition of new and expanded DER and demand response programs.
- Acquisition of an additional ownership interest in an existing generation asset within the Southern Company footprint.
The company expects to add a total of approximately 10,000 MW of new renewable resources by 2035, nearly double the 6,000 MW estimated in the 2022 IRP.
Georgia Power is under the process of procuring new renewable energy through competitive requests for proposal (RFP) processes, including distributed generation and utility scale generation resources.
In 2024, the company plans to issue a 500 MW energy storage system RFP, with resources expected to be introduced by the end of 2028 and an all-source RFP to address capacity requirements from 2029 to 2031.
The company will continue to develop the 265 MW McGrau Ford BESS project and plans to seek final approval from the Georgia PSC by the end of 2024, with commercial operation of the facility expected by the end of 2026.
Georgia Power worked with Georgia PSC Staff and intervenors to develop and finalize the DER Customer Program tariffs, approved in January 2023.
The company is looking after more than 24 project leads, including large-scale customer opportunities, which if successful are anticipated to provide capacity up to the 250 MW program limit for the benefit of retail customers.
Georgia’s current energy projections reveal energy growth of about 6,600 MW through 2030, up from approximately 400 MW forecasted in January 2022.
