Georgia Power’s Assumptions for Data Center Growth Could Cost Customers Billions, Increase Pollution
The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE), Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and Sierra Club hired experts in electricity systems and markets to delve into Georgia Power’s proposed IRP and make recommendations for the Georgia Public Service Commission, which ultimately has to sign off on Georgia Power’s future electricity plan. An expert in electricity planning, Derek Stenclik of Telos Energy, found several parts of Georgia Power’s proposed plan are unreasonable and failed to evaluate a range of possible futures.
Stenclik’s testimony states that Georgia Power’s plan is “based on inappropriate assumptions” that “resulted in [Georgia Power] portfolios that have limited fuel diversity, rely heavily on new gas resources, artificially limit lower cost and lower risk renewable energy resources, fail to capitalize on available federal subsidies which would lower costs, and place significant risk on [Georgia Power] ratepayers for stranded assets that would increase rates if new large loads do not materialize.”
Maggie Shober, Research Director with Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE), said, “As seen from Texas and Tennessee, to North and South Carolina, over-reliance on old coal plants and unreliable gas for power generation can leave customers in the dark during extreme winter weather, leading to truly awful outcomes. Our experts found that Georgia Power did not adequately consider this risk when putting together its proposed plan, and that lack of consideration means Georgia Power’s plan leaves customers over-reliant on coal and gas, and thus vulnerable.”
Patrick King II, Georgia Policy Advocate with Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), said, “Our experts found that by arbitrarily capping solar development in its Integrated Resource Plan, Georgia Power has sidelined one of the most cost-effective resources available in favor of expensive fossil gas infrastructure. This approach ignores more sensible pathways that would cut emissions, lower financial risk, and save bill payers money.”
Lexy Doherty, Campaign Organizing Strategist for the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign, said, “Falling back on coal-fired power plants that were already scheduled to retire is the worst possible option to meet growing electricity demand in Georgia. It’s more expensive than comparable renewable energy sources, will pollute our communities’ air and water, and lead to more extreme and costly weather events.”
Read more about analyses of Georgia Power’s proposed plan here.
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About the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
Since 1985, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy has worked to promote responsible and equitable energy choices to ensure clean, safe and healthy communities throughout the Southeast. Learn more at www.cleanenergy.org.
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 www.sierraclub.org.
About the National Resources Defense Council
NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd). Learn more at www.nrdc.org.