Georgia Power Gets Green Light to Dramatically Grow Grid to Draw Data Centers

The Vogtle Unit 3, being constructed by primary contractor Westinghouse, a business unit of Toshiba, near Waynesboro, Ga., in this photo taken in March 2017. Georgia Power/Handout via ReutersThe Georgia Public Service Commission will allow the state’s largest electric utility to proceed with its $15 billion plan to build nearly 10,000 megawatts of new generation—two-thirds of its present capacity—within a decade to accommodate “large load” demand from data centers.The five-member commission on Dec. 19 unanimously approved a “stipulated agreement” with Georgia Power Company that requires data center developers to pay capital improvement costs related to grid expansion, and that households and small businesses won’t be left with the bill should projected growth not materialize as anticipated.