Georgia Power has filed nearly 2 gigawatts of new customer contracts with the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC), marking a significant development in the state’s energy sector. These agreements are the first to be completed under the PSC’s recently approved rules and regulations, which aim to provide Georgia Power with more flexibility to serve large-load customers while protecting residential and small business customers from extra costs.
The company’s recent testimony before the Georgia PSC emphasized that these new contracts—driven primarily by expected growth in data centers and other large-scale customers—highlight the need for additional power generation resources. This filing is part of an ongoing All-Source Request for Proposals (RFP) certification process, which also includes updates on projected customer demand, economic trends, and load forecasts.
Georgia Power is currently negotiating with several other large-load customers that could represent additional gigawatts of future demand. Following the approval of updated rules by the PSC earlier this year, potential large-load customers now have to meet stricter requirements such as providing financial commitments and showing infrastructure readiness in order to remain part of Georgia Power’s long-term planning. These changes are intended to ensure that only credible projects are included in risk-adjusted forecasts, helping spread fixed costs over a larger customer base and supporting a three-year base rate freeze for most customers except for storm-related costs.
Looking ahead, Georgia Power’s forecast anticipates continued strong demand growth through the next decade. The risk-adjusted projection shows an increase of 8,448 megawatts between the winters of 2025/2026 and 2030/2031. This growth supports the company’s request to certify about 9,900 MW of new capacity resources through its All-Source RFP process to help maintain reliable energy service as economic development continues.
Aaron Mitchell, senior vice president for Strategic Growth at Georgia Power, stated: “As Georgia continues to grow, our planning and forecasting teams are working every day to review the latest economic trends and customer data in coordination with our regulators at the Georgia PSC. These new contracts reflect not only the state’s economic momentum, but also our commitment to protecting residential customers while responsibly planning for future energy needs.”
In January, the Georgia PSC approved new rules allowing Georgia Power to offer customized contracts to large-load customers that include terms like upfront infrastructure payments and financial guarantees. These measures are designed so that residential and small business customers do not bear any costs associated with high-demand projects.
