Overview
- Commissioners voted 5–0 on Dec. 19 to approve a stipulated plan adding about 9,885 megawatts through a mix of natural gas, battery storage, solar and power‑purchase agreements.
- Georgia Power says roughly 80% of the new capacity will serve data centers, and the commission rejected requests to delay the decision until two newly elected Democrats take office.
- The utility projects at least $8.50 per month in bill relief for a typical household from 2029 to 2031, tied to $556 million in annual large‑load revenue and a pledge to financially backstop the build through 2031.
- Staff previously criticized the forecast as overly speculative and estimate customers could bear $50 billion to $60 billion over decades despite a construction budget of about $16.3 billion.
- The plan includes five new gas‑burning units that drew environmental objections, and state troopers escorted chanting protesters from the meeting before the vote.