Georgia Power Launches Program to Let Companies Build Their Own Clean Energy Projects

Georgia Power, the state’s largest utility, is launching a Customer-Identified Resource program that will let companies propose and fund their own clean energy projects. The program was approved by Georgia’s public service commissioners on April 7 with bipartisan support and is expected to open by this summer.

“It provides an opportunity for the first time for these customers to be able to identify and bring projects to Georgia Power,” said Priya Barua, senior director of Utility Partnerships and Innovation at the Corporate Energy Buyers Association (CEBA). Barua collaborated with Georgia Power and other stakeholders to develop the initiative.

Many corporations have committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions but have struggled to meet these goals due to reliance on the traditional grid, which is largely powered by fossil fuels like coal and natural gas alongside renewables. The new program aims to change that by giving companies direct control over clean energy development.

How the Program Works

Under the new initiative, Georgia Power customers can:

• Fund clean energy projects that don’t get selected during the utility’s regular bid process.
• Develop and propose their own clean energy projects within Georgia.
• Collaborate with multiple customers to jointly fund and build projects, expanding access to small and medium-sized businesses.

“The program allows multiple customers to be able to bring forward a project together, which really opens this program up to a broader range of small and medium sized commercial and industrial customers,” Barua explained.

Corporate Clean Energy Efforts in Georgia

Some companies have already taken steps to power their operations with clean energy in Georgia. For example, Meta has built solar fields to help power its data center complex in Social Circle, though the facility still sources additional energy from an electric membership cooperative, not Georgia Power. Similarly, Hyundai has purchased renewable energy credits from solar fields in Texas to offset energy use at its plant near Savannah.

Prior to this program, there was no mechanism for Georgia Power customers to bring similar projects directly to the utility’s grid. The new initiative changes that by allowing companies to build clean energy projects within the state and connect them to Georgia Power’s system.

Potential Impact and Future Outlook

Supporters of the program hope it can serve as a model for other utilities across the country. Georgia currently ranks eighth in the nation for solar energy capacity, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. However, renewable energy advocates argue the state could be adding solar capacity even faster.

In recent years, Georgia Power has requested and received approval for significant new energy generation to meet growing demand, primarily driven by data centers. The utility plans to meet much of this demand with natural gas. Environmental and consumer advocates have countered that some or all of this projected demand could be met with renewables and efficiency programs instead.

Barua noted that this new program could help address the additional demand the utility anticipates, providing a pathway for companies to contribute to clean energy growth in Georgia.