Georgia Power reaffirms commitment to customers and growth

The numbers sound almost implausible: more than 400 gigawatts of prospective new electricity users are asking to connect to the Texas grid — roughly four times the state’s all-time current demand — and the vast majority are data centers. Mark Bell, president and CEO of the Association of Electric Companies of Texas, says the grid is evolving to meet that demand without sacrificing reliability or shifting the cost onto households. https://buff.ly/8vZE4uI

America turns 250, but much of our electric grid was built before electricity became as central to daily life and economic growth as it is today. Throughout U.S. history, we have thrived on innovation and updated major systems as the country’s needs changed, adding the infrastructure and technology required to support new industries, new forms of transportation, and new ways of living and working. The electric grid now faces that kind of pressure as electricity demand is growing again, while utilities and grid planners are trying to add enough power and transmission to keep pace. How that expansion is planned will shape both reliability and what customers pay. Preparing the system for what comes next requires more than building power plants. New projects need to connect faster. Transmission needs to move electricity where it’s needed. Batteries and flexible energy use can help cover high-demand hours, while efficiency and grid upgrades can get more from the infrastructure already in place. Many of these decisions are being made at the state level. Governors, lawmakers, and utility regulators influence what gets built, how quickly it comes online, and how the costs are divided among customers. America’s 250th anniversary is a useful moment to ask whether the power system is keeping up with the country it now serves. As the United States enters its next chapter, it needs a grid that can support more growth while keeping electricity reliable and affordable.

Who gets to build Wisconsin's power grid — and profit from it? A fight over a major transmission project has moved to Washington, where federal regulators will decide whether Wisconsin's largest transmission utility deserves another shot at the work. The case could help determine how billions of dollars in future grid projects are awarded as data centers drive demand for more electricity. Read the full story by Paul Kiefer here: https://lnkd.in/e9Az2H77

The DOE's draft National Transmission Needs Study is out, and the numbers tell a clear story. $12 billion in congestion costs in 2024. The DOE expects that number to keep growing. The draft study makes the case that interregional transmission i.e., the connections between grid operators and across regional boundaries, is where the biggest opportunity sits. ERCOT and its neighbors. The Eastern and Western interconnections. NorthernGrid and WestConnect. ISO-NE and NYISO. These are the gaps where more capacity translates directly into lower costs and better reliability for the people on the other end of the line. The Southeast stands out. It is the only region that has not addressed any of the four key transmission needs the study assessed. No organized wholesale market, limited public pricing data, and real exposure to congestion that is hard to even measure right now. From 2016 through 2024, the country averaged 150 miles of interregional transmission per year. Incumbent utilities built 98% of what went in the ground. Demand is not waiting on that pace. Building across regional boundaries is genuinely hard. Different operators, different rules, landowners who deserve real engagement and not just notice after decisions are made. That part does not get easier just because the need is clear. What this report does is give planners, utilities, and regulators a specific target to work toward instead of a general problem to manage. The grid has to grow. The data says so. The communities that depend on reliable, affordable power are the reason it matters.

The electric grid connects our homes, schools, businesses and communities through a network of power lines that deliver energy from a variety of sources. Behind something as simple as flipping a switch, is a system made up of three key parts: generation, transmission and distribution. 💡 Want to learn more about how it all works? https://ow.ly/HtWT50Zlcjk

The Tennessee Valley Authority is projecting a significant increase in electric demand across the Southeast U.S., driven by planned data centers and projected population growth. 🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/gUSYHxBT

In reply comments filed with FERC, the Grid Acceleration Coalition reinforced what the record shows: speed is essential when building the transmission infrastructure needed to support economic growth and power vital industries. Yet federal requirements are delaying the buildout of critical transmission and increasing costs for customers. The question is not whether delays exist — it is whether we act to fix them and deliver results for customers. At a time of rising demand, we need a process that enables the timely buildout of the transmission backbone required to connect new load, unlock energy potential and strengthen reliability. Learn more about why unlocking speed to power is so vital: https://lnkd.in/e-aRDZmg

Thanks to Reuters for citing my work! "Today’s electricity system forces almost everyone, from homeowners to hyperscale data centers, to depend on the same network," Travis Fisher, director of energy and environmental policy studies ⁠at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, recently wrote. "That one-size-fits-all model increasingly does not serve either group well. Large customers may wait a decade or longer for service, while ordinary ratepayers worry that expanding the grid for ⁠massive new industrial loads will ultimately increase their own bills." https://lnkd.in/eaEZn7TB

I am incredibly proud to share that Georgia Power Company’s new Transmission Expansion & Upgrades webpage https://lnkd.in/ew8HgHUr is now live—a central place for customers, communities, and stakeholders to learn about transmission work happening across the state. As SVP Melvin Roland explains in this video featured on the page, “These projects taking place across our state help improve reliability and resiliency not just in one community, but across entire regions.” As the supervisor of the Transmission Stakeholder Engagement Team, I’m especially excited about what this site includes: clear, plain-language explanations of what transmission is, why these investments matter, and how projects are planned and communicated well in advance to support reliability and Georgia’s growing energy needs. Visitors can explore: -Current transmission projects across the state, including individual project pages -Timelines and what to expect throughout the life of a project -Considerations that occur on every project, including environmental impacts and vegetation management -Other educational resources Giving a HUGE thank you to everyone who helped bring this to life, especially Tess Newton Stuart, Brandi Peterson, Rashan Beachem, PMP, CSM, Will Turner, Michelle B., and Terrilyn Simmons. Together, our teams created a resource to provide Georgia Power customers and our communities with clear, consistent, and transparent communication about these important projects. #OneTeam #HereForYou https://lnkd.in/eVWPjg-z

As electricity demand grows, so do questions about who should pay for new energy infrastructure. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission recently issued a set of orders to help shield ratepayers from the costs associated with data center development. Now, FERC is calling upon state regulators to enact more consumer protections. Protecting families and businesses starts with ensuring that costs are assigned fairly and that investments are driven by demonstrated needs. “Ohio should not pass utility wish lists and call them customer protection,” The Ohio Manufacturers' Association President Ryan Augsburger said in a statement. “If policymakers want to protect customers, the standard should be simple. Prove the demand, make the cost-causer pay and do not leave everyone else on the hook for infrastructure built around forecasts that may never materialize.” See more on the FERC decision here: https://bit.ly/4oKyarD