Georgia Regulators Approve Huge Electric Generation Increase for Data Centers
The approval follows recent elections where two Democrats won seats on the commission. Those Democrats oppose the plan but don't take office until January.
ATLANTA, Dec. 19, 2025 (AP) — Georgia's only private electric utility plans to increase power capacity by 50% after state regulators on Friday agreed 5-0 that the plan is needed to meet projected demand from data centers.
It would be one of the biggest build-outs in the U.S. to meet the insatiable electricity demand from developers of artificial intelligence. The construction cost would be $16.3 billion, but staff members say customers will pay $50 billion to $60 billion over coming decades, including interest costs and guaranteed profit for the monopoly utility.
Georgia Power Co. and the Public Service Commission pledge large users will more than pay for their costs, and that spreading fixed costs over more customers, could help significantly cut residents' power bills beginning in 2029.
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