Georgia Power and Google have reached an agreement under which the technology company will help fund upgrades at the Plant Vogtle and Plant Hatch nuclear stations to support the electricity needs of Google's data centers in the state. The arrangement, announced by Southern Company subsidiary Georgia Power, is projected to add roughly 96 megawatts of additional grid capacity through facility enhancements at the two plants.
Under the deal, Google will subscribe to a new utility tariff and receive Zero-Emission Credits tied to the nuclear power generated at the upgraded units. Georgia Power estimates the arrangement will deliver approximately 900 million dollars in benefits to the utility's broader customer base over the operating life of the reactors. The agreement still requires review and approval from the Georgia Public Service Commission before the upgrades can move forward.
A Google executive overseeing the company's advanced energy technology efforts described the data center investment as a proof point for expanding capacity at existing nuclear facilities rather than building new plants from scratch. Plant Vogtle, located near Waynesboro, is the most recently completed nuclear facility in the United States, with its two newest reactors having entered commercial service in 2023 and 2024.
The deal comes as data center electricity demand continues to climb across the Southeast, prompting utilities in the region to look at existing nuclear plants as a source of additional firm capacity that can be brought online faster than new construction.
Source: WRDW News 12 -- https://www.wrdw.com/2026/09/21/deal-calls-google-help-pay-vogtle-upgrades/