A Good Transmission Line Is Hard to Find

What is the Georgia Power IRP? What does the GA PSC do? 

An Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) is a big plan that Georgia Power develops every three years to figure out how it will provide electricity to Georgia residents for the next 10 years. It helps the company decide what sources of energy—like coal, natural gas, nuclear, and renewable energy (such as solar and wind—it needs to build to meet demand. Georgia Power also considers how to make sure everyone has access to reliable power when they need it. 

The Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) oversees and approves Georgia Power's IRP, ensuring that the plan meets the state’s energy needs, balances costs, promotes reliable service, and considers environmental impacts. The PSC is made up of five commissioners elected by the people of Georgia, and each serves a six-year staggered term (most of the time). The PSC sets utility rates, aiming for a balance between fair consumer costs and transparent regulation of Georgia Power. Its job is to protect consumers while overseeing the company’s practices. 

Georgia is experiencing a dramatic increase in energy demand, driven by the rapid growth of data centers for industries like artificial intelligence (AI), online shopping, and large-scale data processing. These massive facilities require enormous amounts of electricity and water to power computer servers, cool equipment, and run complex operations. 

Data centers are expanding rapidly in the state, with some large facilities consuming up to 100 megawatts (MW) or more of power each year. Georgia is projected to see an increase in demand by over 8,000 megawatts (8 gigawatts) by 2030, with much of this growth driven by the tech industry. These data centers are powered by high-energy computers that need constant cooling, adding to their energy consumption. 

The demand from AI technologies, which rely on advanced computing and large-scale data processing, is also increasing. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the maximum output of one of Plant Vogtle’s new nuclear reactors is just over 1,000 megawatts. The current pipeline of data centers coming to the state will use enough energy to power 1.8 million homes which is almost 40 percent of the housing units currently in Georgia. 

These industries are growing quickly and pushing the state's energy needs higher than expected. This growth is a major factor in the Georgia Power IRP for 2025, which includes a shift in plans to extend the life of some coal plants that were originally scheduled for closure.  

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In the IRP, Georgia Power looks at different ways to produce electricity and decides which ones will be the best, taking into account things like cost, the environment, and how much energy people will use in the future. Once Georgia Power releases its IRP, the PSC and public have the opportunity to review the resource plan and ensure their opinions are taken in consideration before it is finalized  

Unfortunately, Georgia Power has requested approval from the PSC to increase its reliance on fossil fuels, including coal and methane gas. The company is proposing to delay the closure of some coal plants and make investments in new methane gas facilities. This shift may lead to higher bill prices and increased air pollution. Residential customers are already facing high energy costs, and these proposals could increase financial burdens without sufficiently prioritizing cleaner, reliable, and more affordable energy alternatives. 

The rural solar and transmission opportunity  

One piece that hasn’t been discussed much is transmission in the Georgia Power IRP. Transmission is a key part of the review process for the PSC because Georgia Power plays a critical role in delivering electricity from power plants to consumers. The state has approximately 19,000 miles of transmission lines. That’s simply not enough—and won’t be. Georgia Power operates 70 percent of these transmission lines in the state, while other utilities and electric cooperatives manage the remaining lines. In Georgia Power’s IRP, it proposes 1,100 miles of new transmission lines over the next 10 years.   

While the metro areas in Georgia are booming, the state's rural communities are facing economic decline due to factors like limited job opportunities, population loss, and lack of infrastructure. But Georgia has seen a boom in large-scale solar farms. As of 2024, Georgia has more than 7,000 MW of installed solar, with the state ranking seventh in the nation for total solar power capacity. The expansion includes more than 20 utility-scale solar farms across the state, which collectively generate enough energy to power hundreds of thousands of homes.

Rural solar in Georgia is mutually beneficial due to the state's abundant sunshine, available land, and the potential for economic development and job creation, while also contributing to a cleaner energy future. These solar farms also generate tax revenue for local communities and is the cheapest and fastest way to produce and provide electricity in the state.  For optimal interconnection to the grid and cost-effectiveness, solar farms need to be located less than two miles away from transmission lines.

To meet the expected energy demand in Georgia, we need even more clean energy and transmission, and rural solar farms play a key role in keeping the lights on. The state has some important energy issues to solve, and in order to build more renewable energy, new transmission lines must also be built. These problems include costs, access to transmission lines, opposition from local communities, and long approval processes. 

As Georgia Power and the PSC plan for the future, they need to ensure that the state’s electricity grid is capable of handling new sources of renewable energy like solar and wind, as well as the growing demand for electricity from industries like data centers. But they also must make sure that Georgia Power doesn’t unfairly pass on the costs of these needed upgrades to customers—particularly if it isn't making the transmission as accessible to rural solar farms.  

In conclusion, Georgia Power’s 2025 IRP addresses the state’s growing energy demand and the need for infrastructure upgrades. While it proposes new transmission lines and some renewable energy projects, it also continues reliance on fossil fuels, raising environmental and cost concerns. 

The PSC reviews the plan to ensure reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy. Expanding transmission is vital, but must be done fairly, considering costs, environmental impact, and access for renewable energy sources, especially in rural areas.