Georgia Public Service Commission Issues Final Order on Data Center Power Plan

ATLANTA- Today, the Georgia Public Service Commission approved Georgia Power's plan to build the most expensive gas plants in the country.

The commission unanimously approved an agreement between Georgia Power and PSC Staff - released an hour before hearing testimony from the public and advocacy groups- which is expected to cost at least $15 billion in capital costs, though the total costs are likely more than $60 billion over the life of the assets. Despite promises of "downward pressure" on rates from Georgia Power, the agreement would dramatically increase Georgian's energy bills for years to come to power data centers that might not even be built.

In response, the Sierra Club released the following statement:

"This plan serves Georgia Power and fails the rest of us. Georgians will be forced to pay for this massive gas buildout for decades," said Michael Hawthorne, Campaign Organizing Strategist for the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign. "Despite evidence that gas plants are not a good investment for ratepayers, Georgia Power did what it always does and invested in expensive and polluting fossil fuels. The reason is simple: Georgia Power makes more money for shareholders when it builds, and the more expensive the project, the higher their investors' bottom lines. Shame on this commission for failing to provide even a token amount of oversight and choosing instead to give Georgia Power everything it asks for."

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit https://www.sierraclub.org.