Google Subscribes to Nuclear Upgrades in Georgia

Georgia Power and Google have proposed an agreement to fund upgrades for four of Georgia's older nuclear reactors. The deal would allow large customers like Google to pay a subscription fee on top of their electricity bills to help cover the upgrade costs.

In return, Google would receive credit toward its goal of using only carbon-free energy by 2030. This is because nuclear plants don't use fossil fuels, making the power they generate qualify for clean energy targets.

The upgrades are planned for Plant Vogtle and Plant Hatch, with the project expected to add 96 megawatts of nuclear capacity to the grid and provide approximately $900 million in projected benefits to customers over the life of the units.

Georgia Power has already completed its expansion at Plant Vogtle, adding two new reactors that went into operation years behind schedule and billions over budget. The utility is now seeking approval from the Public Service Commission to move forward with the upgrades at Plant Hatch.