- Georgia Power plans to uprate four nuclear units at the Hatch and Vogtle plants, adding 112 MWe by 2034 to meet rising demand.
- To improve efficiency, the company is exploring extending the operational cycles of Vogtle Units 1 and 2 to 24 months.
- Georgia Power is studying new nuclear sites and technologies to ensure long-term capacity growth by 2037, managing associated risks.
Georgia Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company, has outlined a plan to meet Georgia’s growing electricity demand. The company’s 2025 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) projects an 8,200 MW increase in demand by 2030. The plan focuses on upgrading existing nuclear plants and potentially adding new nuclear capacity.
Georgia’s electricity demand is expected to rise significantly, with peak demand set to increase by 2,200 MWe by 2030, compared to previous forecasts. To address this, Georgia Power will uprate four nuclear units at its Hatch and Vogtle plants. These upgrades will add 112 MWe to the grid. Work on these updates will occur between 2028 and 2034.
The upgrades will use Extended Power Uprates (EPU) to increase thermal power output without major investments in transmission infrastructure. At the Hatch plant, a modernisation project will optimise MELLA+ (Maximum Extended Load Line Limit) technology, which will increase thermal power without raising the core cooling flow rate.
Georgia Power works with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to secure approval for these upgrades. Each license amendment request undergoes technical analysis to ensure safety and reliability.
In addition to the updates, Georgia Power is considering extending the operational cycles of Vogtle Units 1 and 2 to 24 months. This will reduce the frequency of refuelling outages, improving efficiency across the fleet.
Looking ahead, Georgia Power anticipates the need for new nuclear capacity to meet long-term energy demand. The IRP indicates that six future pathways will include new atomic capacity by 2037. However, the company acknowledges the risks involved in developing new nuclear infrastructure. Financial and technical challenges will require careful planning and risk mitigation.
Georgia Power is studying potential sites for new nuclear plants to address these challenges. The company is also exploring emerging technologies and discussing with industry stakeholders to reduce risk. These efforts will help prepare the company for future energy needs while managing potential uncertainties.
Kim Greene, Chairman, President, and CEO of Georgia Power, emphasised the importance of proactive planning. He stated that the company’s strategy will allow Georgia to meet future energy needs while ensuring a reliable and competitive energy supply.
Georgia Power’s approach combines upgrades to existing plants with the potential for new nuclear capacity. The company’s long-term planning focuses on keeping up with Georgia’s growing energy demand while managing the risks associated with nuclear expansion. Through careful risk mitigation, Georgia Power hopes to balance energy needs with the financial and technical challenges of expanding its nuclear fleet.