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a plant site assembled. This sort of
technology would be appealing to
electric utilities of all sizes.
PK Doesn’t Georgia Power have one
of the most diverse energy portfolios
in the country?
KG We are very proud of the ex-
tremely diverse generation portfolio
we have built in Georgia, working
with the Georgia PSC. We have a
well-established process in Georgia— the Integrated Resource Plan
(IRP)— which really serves as the
bedrock of our energy planning with
the PSC, looking out at a 20-year
planning horizon and then updated
regularly based on growth and the
state’s future energy needs. Through
this process, we continue transforming our energy mix, making it more
diverse each year.
Since 2007, we have reduced
our carbon emissions by more than
60 percent. Renewable energy has
really hit its stride as part of our
portfolio. Georgia is currently ranked
as one of the top ten states in the
country for solar capacity, and Georgia Power has more than 2,500 MW
of solar and storage online, making
up of the capacity mix, and we
project that could grow to over 6,000
MW by the end of the decade. We’re
also making significant investments
in our state’s hydroelectric facilities—
really, the original renewable energy.
Many of our hydro facilities entered
service 100 years ago or more and
have been quietly and reliably serving our state’s growing population
by leveraging our abundant natural
resources in lakes and rivers. We’re
investing to update and upgrade our
hydro fleet so that these valuable,
carbon-free assets can continue serving our customers.
PK What do you think the future of
energy looks like in Georgia?
KG The future is bright! At Georgia
Power, we’re building that future
right now with our investments in
clean energy resources like solar,
carbon-free nuclear energy and
hydroelectric. We’re also focused on
innovation and advancing new technology. As Georgia’s energy mix continues to evolve with additional intermittent renewable energy, battery
energy storage systems (BESS) will
be essential to maintaining reliability
and to accommodate the increasing
amount of intermittent, renewable
generation sources coming online.
We have multiple projects underway including Mossy Branch near
Columbus and McGrau Ford in Cherokee County. We have also requested PSC approval of up to 1,000 MW
of total storage by the end of 2027.
New energy research is also
critical for us— hydrogen testing is a
great example. In 2022, we worked
with industry partners to successfully
validate 20 percent fuel blending of
hydrogen and natural gas on a gas
turbine at Plant McDonough. Early
conversations are under way for a
potential additional hydrogen and
natural gas blending test of up to 50
percent in the next two years and
pending approval by the Georgia PSC.
PK What is top of mind for your
employees when you talk to them in
the field?
KG Since joining Georgia Power, I
have been across the state and met
with many frontline employees on
line crews and working in generation plants— those making and moving the electricity our customers
enjoy every day. They are missionand purpose-driven, and I’m proud
to work alongside them. Reliability—
keeping the lights on in Georgia— is
what drives them every day. My job
is to make sure we have the right
programs in place and give them
the tools they need to accomplish
this mission.
Most important to me is their
safety. The work our teams do is often hazardous. I am so proud of how
they work day-in and day-out, and I
appreciate the sacrifice they make
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