Google Secures Major Nuclear Energy Deal in Georgia

Last year, over a quarter of Georgia’s energy came from nuclear power. That includes power from Plant Vogtle near Waynesboro, the country’s largest clean energy generator. Now, Georgia Power and Google are partnering to further accelerate nuclear energy in the state.

The companies announced a new agreement to support upgrades at Plant Vogtle and Plant Hatch. The deal awaits approval from the Georgia Public Service Commission. If approved, the project adds about 96 megawatts of new capacity to the grid for Georgia Power customers. Additionally, Google’s subscription to this program should bring around $900 million in projected savings to customers over the lifespan of these units.

Upgrading the Nuclear Power

The companies will use a process called an extended power uprate, a safe way to increase a nuclear plant’s electrical output.

Workers will upgrade key equipment like turbines, pumps, motors, and cooling systems, allowing the reactor to operate at a higher power level. This creates more heat, which sends more steam to the turbine generator. As a result, the unit generates more electricity while still using the existing plant infrastructure and fuel design.

Georgia Power has filed the agreement with the state commission. The commission already approved the uprate for Plant Vogtle in the 2025 Integrated Resource Plan, so the new filings ask to approve the uprate for Plant Hatch, along with a new tariff structure.

What The Companies Say

“Many of our large customers have specific clean energy goals, and we continue to work with the Georgia PSC to create programs that not only help them meet their goals, but align with our Customer Protection Pledge, enhancing the reliability and resiliency of the power grid and creating savings for all customers,” said Aaron Mitchell, Senior Vice President of Strategic Growth for Georgia Power. “We appreciate Google’s continued leadership in this space and partnership in developing this program, which we see as the latest example of how large-load growth can benefit all electric customers.”

“Google data centers are long-term investments in the communities we call home, catalyzing local economic development and accelerating clean energy deployment. They also serve as a proof point for how we can unlock the significant opportunity to bring online new nuclear power through expanding the capacity of the existing nuclear fleet,” said Lucia Tian, Director, Advanced Energy Technologies, Google. “This collaboration with Georgia Power ensures that digital infrastructure growth goes hand-in-hand with positive local impact, helping to deliver hundreds of millions of dollars in direct customer benefits and supporting a more affordable, clean, and reliable energy system for all Georgia residents.”