Georgia Power’s new energy plan calls for major coal plant retirements, commitment to more renewable resources

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Melissa Williams, melissa.williams@sierraclub.org

ATLANTA, GA.  — Today, Georgia Power, the state’s largest utility, filed a new draft long-term energy plan with the state Public Service Commission that calls for the retirement of two of its polluting coal plants and the addition of 1 gigawatt in renewable resources.

 In its 2019 draft Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), the utility says it performed an in-depth economic analysis of certain fossil-fuel-fired generating units in its portfolio and found that retirement of Plant McIntosh Unit 1 and Plant Hammond Units 1-4 made good economic sense.

Southern Company, which owns Georgia Power, released a report in April announcing its electricity generation fleet will be “low to no carbon” by 2050, and today’s filing is the first formal indication of how the utility will move forward to meet that goal.

The process to finalize this energy plan will continue through the next several months, and will allow for public input and hearings before the PSC votes on it this summer. Sierra Club intends to advocate for clean energy as well as  support for communities and workers affected in this process.

In response, Stephen Stetson, representative for the Beyond Coal campaign in Georgia, released the following statement:

“We’re extremely pleased that Georgia Power is moving forward with the long-overdue coal retirement announcements at Plant Hammond and Plant McIntosh, and is moving Georgia forward on solar with much-needed clean energy procurements. We’re also glad the company appears to be avoiding the traps bedeviling other utilities in neighboring states: new fossil fuels buildout and the dangers of fracked gas.

“We’re confident that Georgia’s energy needs can be met with a safe, coal-free grid, powered 100 percent by clean, abundant solar and wind, and bolstered by robust energy efficiency, and we look forward to being part of the process to keep moving in that direction.”

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, 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.