Georgia Power announced today that construction is underway on 765-megawatts (MW) of new battery energy storage systems (BESS) strategically located across Georgia in Bibb, Lowndes, Floyd and Cherokee counties. The BESS projects were authorized by the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) through the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) process and provide quickly dispatchable capacity for customers. The new projects follow the company's first-ever BESS facility at Mossy Branch near Columbus, which entered service last year
BESS projects support the overall reliability and resilience of the electric system, while also enhancing the value of intermittent renewable generation resources such as solar. Storage systems can improve the efficiency of renewable energy by storing excess energy produced during periods when the demand for electricity is lower, for use when the demand is higher, such as on cold winter mornings. Because battery storage can provide stored energy to the grid for hours on demand, BESS resources enhance the overall reliability of the electric system.
"At Georgia Power, we work with the Georgia PSC and many other stakeholders to make the investments required for a reliable and resilient power grid, integrating new technologies to better serve our customers today and as Georgia grows," said Rick Anderson, senior vice president and senior production officer for Georgia Power. "As we expand our diverse energy mix to include more renewable energy, which requires careful advance planning and flexibility to accommodate times when that source is not available, these batteries will be an invaluable part of the electric system."
Construction is currently underway at the following BESS locations:
- Robins BESS (Bibb County, 128 MW). This strategic site is co-located with the existing solar facility adjacent to the Robins Air Force Base and allows Georgia Power to leverage existing infrastructure, thereby eliminating the need to construct new transmission generator step-up (GSU) project-level substations and eliminating potential expenses and long lead time projects associated with transmission interconnection and network upgrades. This project is being engineered and constructed by Burns & McDonnell and has a projected commercial operation date in June 2026.
- Moody BESS (Lowndes County, 49.5 MW). Similar to the Robins BESS project, this strategic choice is co-located with the existing solar facility adjacent to the Moody Air Force Base and allows Georgia Power to leverage existing infrastructure, thereby eliminating the need for constructing new transmission GSU project-level substations and eliminating potential expenses and long lead time projects associated with interconnection and network upgrades. It also offers expedited deployment capabilities and ensures known transmission deliverability. This project is being engineered and constructed by Crowder Industrial Construction and has a projected commercial operation date in May 2026.
- Hammond BESS (Floyd County, 57.5 MW). The Hammond BESS project is a standalone BESS that leverages existing infrastructure from the retired coal-fired Plant Hammond facility. With the repurposing of an existing generation site and the utilization of already identified transmission capacity, the Hammond BESS project provides significant benefit to customers while aiding the company in meeting its capacity needs. This project is being engineered and constructed by Crowder Industrial Construction and has a projected commercial operation date in November 2026.
- McGrau Ford Phase I & II BESS (Cherokee County, 530 MW). Given the existing site work, land acquisition, and contracting for McGrau Ford Phase I BESS, Georgia Power will realize efficiencies in contracting and construction by using the same construction company and company-owned land. In addition, the preliminary design for McGrau Ford Phase I BESS provides an opportunity for Georgia Power to cost effectively expand the project level substation and generation tie line rather than construct a new project level substation. These projects are being engineered and constructed by Burns & McDonnell, and Phases I & II have projected commercial operation dates in October 2026 and September 2026, respectively.
