Georgia Power has received the first of three new natural gas turbines at Plant Yates in Coweta County, Georgia. The turbine, produced by Mitsubishi Power at its Savannah Machinery Works facility, was delivered to the site using both rail and truck. Each turbine weighs nearly 350 tons and measures 50 feet long by 18 feet wide. These are the first new natural gas turbines added to Georgia Power’s fleet in a decade. Once all units are operational, they will provide a total of 1,300 megawatts (MW) of generation capacity.
Plant Yates began commercial operation in 1950 and has played a key role in supporting Georgia’s energy needs since then. In 2014, five coal-fired units were decommissioned at the plant while two others were converted to natural gas generation. The addition of three new turbines is expected to create about 600 jobs during construction and add 15 permanent positions when completed, increasing the full-time workforce at Plant Yates to 75.
The new units feature Mitsubishi Power M501JAC combustion turbines that offer higher output and efficiency compared to previous models. These air-cooled turbines do not require steam cooling, which allows for faster start-up times—about 30 minutes—and lower turn down rates. They also have built-in flexibility to run on oil if natural gas becomes unavailable and can be modified in the future to use hydrogen blends as fuel.
Georgia Power continues its partnership with industry suppliers like Mitsubishi Power to meet growing energy demand across Georgia. Approval for these units came from the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) through the company’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) Update in 2023. The company expects all three turbines will be online by late 2027.
“At Georgia Power, we know our customers depend on us for reliable and affordable energy that is available around the clock whenever they need it at their homes or businesses,” said Rick Anderson, senior vice president and senior production officer for Georgia Power. “We continue to work with the Georgia PSC to enhance and expand our diverse generation mix to meet the needs of customers not only today, but decades into the future. The new natural gas units at Plant Yates will be a great addition to our fleet, using existing property and infrastructure to deliver the best overall value for customers and providing exciting new investment at a plant that has been an economic driver in Coweta County for decades.”
Cheryl Boddiford, senior vice president of North American Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management at Mitsubishi Power said: “The delivery of our M501JAC advanced-class gas turbines to Plant Yates marks an important step in supporting Georgia’s growing demand for reliable, efficient energy generation. Assembled at our Savannah Machinery Works facility, these units not only reflect our long-standing partnership with Georgia Power, but also symbolize Mitsubishi Power’s commitment to U.S.-based manufacturing and skilled workforce development. We’re proud to help deliver the flexible, high-performance turbine technology that will keep Georgia powered now and in the years ahead.”
Natural gas currently accounts for about 40 percent of annual energy generation by Georgia Power according to company data https://www.georgiapower.com/company/news-center/2025-articles/georgia-power-receives-first-new-natural-gas-turbine-at-plant-yates.html . The company plans further investments including upgrades on combustion turbines at Plant McIntosh near Savannah as approved under its most recent IRP update https://psc.ga.gov/search/facts-document/?documentId=187522 . This upgrade is projected to add another 268 MW of capacity from existing infrastructure.
Additionally, as part of an all-source RFP certification filing with state regulators https://www.georgiapower.com/company/news-center/2025-articles/georgia-power-files-all-source-request-for-proposals-to-add-generation-capacity.html , Georgia Power has requested approval for five new combined cycle units totaling nearly 3,700 MW across Plants Bowen, McIntosh and Wansley aimed at ensuring grid stability amid continued growth.
More information about how Georgia Power manages its diverse energy portfolio can be found on its website www.GeorgiaPower.com .
