ATLANTA — Today, the Sierra Club and the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) filed a motion with the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) to request a one-month delay on Georgia Power’s request to lock customers into a long-term spending plan that dramatically increases its electricity capacity at a significant cost.
The one-month extension would delay a final decision on Georgia Power’s request until January 2026 and would allow for newly elected PSC members Alicia Johnson and Peter Hubbard to vote on the proposal.
The Georgia PSC is currently considering whether to approve the results of one of Georgia Power’s “Requests for Proposals,” or RFP. Through this process, Georgia Power is seeking permission from the PSC to build a massive amount of new fossil fuel-powered power plant infrastructure in order to serve new large load customers, primarily data centers. Even though the long-term viability of the new large loads is uncertain, with this approval from the PSC, Georgia Power plans to run these plants for the next 45 years. The PSC is currently scheduled to take a final vote on Georgia Power’s plan on Dec. 19.
Sierra Club and SACE based their request on three key factors.
First, Georgia voters overwhelmingly rejected the current PSC when they went to the polls last week. In the first PSC elections since 2020, Commissioners-Elect Johnson and Hubbard received close to 63% of the vote over their incumbent PSC opponents, a massive margin of victory. The last time a PSC candidate received more than 60% of the vote in an election with both a Democrat and a Republican was 1998, nearly three decades ago. The results of the election are clear evidence that the public does not support the status quo at the PSC, Sierra Club and SACE argue.
Second, the size and scale of Georgia Power’s request is unprecedented. Georgia Power’s plan seeks to bring 9.9 GW online, representing more than a 50% increase in the utility’s existing generating capacity. Sierra Club and SACE argue that the PSC should respect the will of the voters and refrain from allowing lame duck commissioners to make such a consequential decision.
Third, and finally, a one-month delay is insignificant in the overall timeline of this request. The RFP currently being considered by the Commission stems from Georgia Power’s 2022 energy plan. And the power generating infrastructure that Georgia Power seeks to build will have 45-year lifespans, meaning that the decisions made on the RFP will have lifetime impacts on customers and our state as a whole. A brief, one-month extension is negligible when this larger timeframe is considered, Sierra Club and SACE point out.
“Georgia voters overwhelmingly rejected the current PSC’s approach to oversight of Georgia Power,” said Adrien Webber (he/him), Sierra Club Georgia Chapter Director. “This proposal will have a generational impact on our state; The PSC should respect the will of the voters and allow Commissioners-Elect Johnson and Hubbard to consider the merits of this plan.”
“It is tone deaf to add billions of dollars to the bills of Georgia ratepayers by rushing this decision through a lame-duck Commission after voters across the state just sent a clear message about their concerns on energy affordability,” added Dr. Stephen Smith, executive director of SACE. “Approving Georgia Power’s plans to run these extraordinarily expensive new fossil gas plants will lock electric customers into increased rates and volatile fuel costs for decades to come.”
Read the full motion for extension of filing deadlines and continuance of hearing at this link.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Ricky Leroux, Communications Strategist
470-719-4512 | ricky.leroux@sierraclub.org
Amy Rawe, Communications Director, SACE
865-235-1448 | amyr@cleanenergy.org
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About the Sierra Club Georgia Chapter
The Sierra Club Georgia Chapter is the largest grassroots environmental organization in the state, with more than 75,000 members and supporters. The Chapter supports a robust outings program and has active committees working on forest and coastal protection, transit expansion, and clean energy. For more information, visit sierraclub.org/georgia.
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million 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 sierraclub.org.
About the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
Since 1985, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) has worked to promote responsible and equitable energy choices to ensure clean, safe, and healthy communities throughout the Southeast. Learn more at cleanenergy.org.
