Georgia Power, the state’s largest utility, has revealed details about where it will install its next set of massive batteries, part of its plan to meet a wave of electricity demand the company says is on the horizon.
In a filing submitted last week to regulators at the Georgia Public Service Commission, the company disclosed that it will build 500 megawatts of new battery energy storage systems, also known as BESS, at four locations in the state. In April, Georgia Power got approval from the PSC to skip the normal competitive bidding process and build the battery installations itself.
In that same vote, the PSC also approved new units fueled by oil and natural gas and allowed Georgia Power to continue buying electricity from coal- and gas-fired plants in Mississippi and Florida.
Credit: NATRICE MILLER
Credit: NATRICE MILLER
BESS come in different shapes and sizes, but most consist of batteries stacked inside metal enclosures equipped with cooling fans to prevent overheating.
The basic technology has been around for years, but the systems have recently surged in popularity as utilities try to boost the reliability of the solar and other renewables they have added to their portfolios.
Solar only generates electricity when the sun is shining, but pairing panels with a BESS allows the batteries to be charged with extra solar electricity at times of low usage. Then, on hot afternoons and other times when electricity usage soars, the batteries’ stored electrons can be pushed onto the grid instantly to meet increased demand.
Georgia Power said it is conducting final testing on its first-ever BESS, a 65-megawatt system outside Columbus.
As part of the plans revealed last Friday, Georgia Power plans to build:
- A 265-megawatt battery system in Cherokee County near Ball Ground. The batteries will be installed at the same location — known as the McGrau Ford site — where a BESS system of the same size is already under construction. The batteries here will be charged with electricity from the grid.
- A 128-megawatt battery system at Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins, about 20 miles south of Macon. The batteries will primarily be charged by an existing Georgia Power solar array at the base.
- A 57.5-megawatt battery system at Plant Hammond, a shuttered coal-fired power station outside Rome. The company said Plant Hammond is ideal because of the “existing infrastructure” at the site.
- A 49.5-megawatt battery system at Moody Air Force Base, about 12 miles north of Valdosta. The batteries will be paired with a solar installation at the base.
For all four projects, the company has selected battery units made by Tesla known as the Megapack 2 XL. All of the systems are expected to come online between May and November of 2026.
Georgia Power did not disclose the projects’ price tags, arguing that information is trade secret, but the filing with the PSC is the first step in laying the groundwork for the utility to ask regulators to allow them to add the cost into customers’ rates.
The company is likely to add even more battery storage soon. As part of the plan that the PSC signed off on in April to try to avoid a purported demand crunch, the utility is expected to solicit bids for another 500 megawatts of batteries in the near future.
About the Author
