Georgia Power Wants To Keep Coal Plants Running To Meet Electricity Demand

Georgia Power Co. says it wants to continue burning coal to meet the state’s increasing electricity demand, Jeff Amy reported for the Associated Press (AP).

The Atlanta-based unit of Southern Co. recently submitted a required plan to regulators outlining how it intends to generate and transmit power in the future. I Photo: Georgia Power

The state’s only private electrical utility forecasts a rapid rise in electricity demand, driven largely by power-hungry data centers.

This is one example of how rising energy needs are straining U.S. electrical infrastructure and complicating efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to climate change.

The Atlanta-based unit of Southern Co. recently submitted a required plan to regulators outlining how it intends to generate and transmit power in the future. Georgia’s Public Service Commission, composed of five elected Republicans, will hold hearings and vote on the plan.

Georgia Power will then propose a rate plan detailing how it intends to finance its investments over the next three years, with commissioners expected to vote on rates in December.

The company did not disclose how much its proposals would cost or how they would impact customer bills.