Google Partners with Georgia Power on $900 Million Nuclear Upgrade Plan
Georgia Power and Google have proposed an agreement to upgrade nuclear generating capacity at Plants Vogtle and Hatch, which they claim will provide approximately $900 million in benefits for customers.
The proposal involves adding approximately 96 megawatts of generating capacity to the state's electric grid through targeted modifications and upgrades to key plant equipment. This process is known as an Extended Power Uprate (EPU) and has been proven to increase electrical output while utilizing existing reactor fuel design and plant infrastructure.
The agreement is subject to approval by the Georgia Public Service Commission and would see Google subscribe to a new Nuclear Uprate tariff, receiving Zero-Emission Credits associated with the additional nuclear generation. This structure aims to prevent non-participating customers from bearing the incremental costs associated with the upgrades while generating benefits for all customers.
Georgia Power's Senior Vice President of Strategic Growth, Aaron Mitchell, said that the company is working to create programs that align with its Customer Protection Pledge, enhancing the reliability and resiliency of the power grid and creating savings for all customers. Lucia Tian, Director of Advanced Energy Technologies at Google, added that the collaboration ensures that digital infrastructure growth goes hand-in-hand with positive local impact.