Georgia Power says it has no new nuclear power projects currently planned, but the utility is actively studying the possibility. The company has spent an average of $87,000 a month over roughly 13 months exploring potential sites and conducting studies related to future nuclear power generation, according to reporting on the utility's plans.
The interest comes as Georgia Power has helped recruit data centers to the state, facilities that require substantial amounts of electricity. Nuclear power produces no direct carbon emissions and offers reliability advantages over weather-dependent sources like solar and wind, but building a new plant would take at least a decade to secure financing, line up contractors and obtain state and federal approvals.
In the near term, Georgia Power's primary strategy remains a large-scale expansion of its power grid through 2030, aimed mainly at supporting data center growth. The utility already operates two nuclear facilities in the state: Plant Vogtle in Waynesboro, which has four reactors, and Plant Hatch in Baxley, which has two.
Plant Vogtle's two newest reactors, completed in 2023 and 2024, became the first new nuclear units built in the United States in roughly 30 years after a construction process marked by delays and cost overruns. The plant remains the nation's largest single source of carbon-free electricity generation.
Source: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- https://www.ajc.com/news/2026/09/am-atl-powering-up/