Google Helps Fund Georgia Power's Nuclear Plant Upgrades

Georgia Power has reached an agreement with Google to help fund upgrades at Plant Vogtle and other nuclear generating plants in the state. The deal, which was filed Monday with the Georgia Public Service Commission, would have Google support 'uprates' on Georgia Power's share of the nuclear units at Plants Vogtle and Hatch.

The uprates are expected to add about 96 megawatts of new capacity to the grid, enough to power tens of thousands of homes. According to Georgia Power, this will bring hundreds of millions of dollars in savings for customers over the life of the units.

Under the plan, Google would subscribe to a new Nuclear Uprate tariff and receive 'zero-emission credits' that represent the carbon-free attributes of the additional nuclear power. This structure helps shield non-participating customers from the incremental costs of upgrades.

The deal is an example of using large-load growth to benefit all customers, according to Georgia Power Senior Vice President Aaron Mitchell. Google executive Lucia Tian said the company's data centers are 'long-term investments in the communities we call home,' and that the deal shows how expanding the capacity of existing nuclear plants can support digital infrastructure growth.