Georgia Power, the Southern Company utility powering 2.7 million Georgians
Georgia Power is the largest electric utility in Georgia, serving customers across nearly the entire state. The company is a subsidiary of Southern Company and is at the centre of one of the largest grid expansions in U.S. history, driven by data center growth and a recently completed nuclear build at Plant Vogtle.
- The size of the Georgia Power network and the regions it covers
- Why power outages happen on the Georgia grid
- The 2025 IRP and the $16 billion data center expansion
- How Plant Vogtle, batteries and self-healing devices support reliability
A statewide grid from Atlanta to the coast
Georgia Power covers 155 of Georgia's 159 counties, from the Atlanta metro area to coastal Savannah and rural southern Georgia. Generation includes the four-unit Plant Vogtle nuclear station near Augusta, the two-unit Plant Hatch nuclear station, plus a mix of natural gas, coal and growing solar and battery storage.
- About 2.7 million customers across Georgia.
- Service across 155 of Georgia's 159 counties, including the Atlanta metro and the coastal corridor.
- Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4 (completed in 2023 and 2024) make Georgia home to the largest generator of clean energy in the United States.
- Projected load growth of about 8,500 MW over six years, primarily driven by data centers.
Georgia Power is regulated by the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) and is a subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), one of the largest U.S. utility holding companies.
Hurricanes from the Atlantic and ice storms in north Georgia
Georgia faces a wide range of weather risks, from hurricanes and tropical storms on the coast to severe thunderstorms, ice storms and tornadoes inland. Tree cover across most of the state adds to the exposure.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
Coastal Georgia is exposed to hurricanes and tropical storms, while remnants reach inland and produce widespread wind and flooding damage to overhead lines.
Severe weather and tornadoes
Severe thunderstorms, derechos and tornadoes are the most frequent cause of large-scale outages, particularly across northern and central Georgia in spring and early summer.
Trees and vegetation
Heavy tree cover across most of Georgia makes vegetation a recurring outage driver. Georgia Power runs a dedicated tree trimming program on a multi-year cycle.
Aging infrastructure
Older substations, transformers and conductors fail more often. Replacement and modernization is a steady line item in every IRP cycle.
The Georgia Power Integrated Resource Plan
The Georgia Public Service Commission approved the company's 2025 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) in July 2025, then unanimously approved a major data center expansion in December 2025. Together they reshape the generation and transmission backbone of the state.
Georgia Power investment plan
Approximately 9,885 MW of new generation capacity approved in December 2025, more than double the combined output of all four Vogtle reactors.
About $16 billion of direct capital expenditure on new power plants, plus contracted third-party supplies.
Up to 4,000 MW of renewable energy and 1,500 MW of battery storage in the 2025 IRP.
765 MW of new battery storage capacity targeted by Georgia Power for 2026.
Approval to upgrade Vogtle Units 1 and 2 for an additional 54 MW of carbon-free output, plus engineering for potential uprates at Hatch Units 1 and 2.
Southern Company plans more than $80 billion of capital investment across its system over five years.
Critics warn that the data center build-out increases ratepayer risk; Georgia Power and the PSC argue that large-load customers pay upfront for new infrastructure and commit to long-term contracts, helping protect residential reliability and rate stability.
Vogtle nuclear, grid hardening and Atlanta data-center load
Plant Vogtle and nuclear backbone
Vogtle Units 3 and 4 are the only new commercial nuclear reactors built in the United States in the past 30 years. Together with the legacy Vogtle Units 1 and 2 and Plant Hatch, they form a large carbon-free baseload that supports grid stability through every season.
Battery energy storage
Following its first BESS facility commissioned in 2024, Georgia Power has projected 765 MW of new battery storage capacity by 2026 to help cover peaks and reduce strain on the grid during severe weather.
Self-healing distribution and automation
Smart switches, sectionalizers and automated reclosers detect faults, isolate the damaged section and restore service to as many customers as possible without manual intervention.
Strategic vegetation management
Targeted tree trimming on a multi-year cycle is one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce both outage frequency and storm restoration time on the Georgia Power grid.
Georgia Power outage map and outage alerts
Georgia Power outage map
Georgia Power publishes a public outage map updated in near real-time. Customers can search by address or zip code and follow estimated restoration times, the size of an outage and crew status.
Mobile app and alerts
The Georgia Power mobile app gives access to the outage map, lets customers report a power outage and pushes proactive SMS, email and app notifications when service is interrupted.
EV charging programs
Georgia Power offers residential EV rates, make-ready programs for fleets and businesses and a public charging network across the state.
Bill assistance and energy efficiency
Georgia Power runs energy efficiency rebates, the Project SHARE bill assistance fund and partnerships with state programs (LIHEAP) for income-eligible customers.
Duke, FPL and Georgia's main ISPs
For a wider view of how the U.S. electric grid works and why outages happen, see the U.S. power outage page. Other major utilities serving the Southeast include Duke Energy in the Carolinas and Florida and FPL in Florida.
For internet outages across the same Georgia footprint, the most common providers are AT&T and Xfinity.