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Tdworld 19296 Gettyimages 502814339
Tdworld 19296 Gettyimages 502814339
Tdworld 19296 Gettyimages 502814339
Tdworld 19296 Gettyimages 502814339
Tdworld 19296 Gettyimages 502814339

Georgia Power Seeks Funding for Grid Hardening, Storm Restoration Projects

Aug. 2, 2019
Georgia Power files a request with the Georgia Public Utilities Commission to increase customer rates and make further investments in the state's future.

Georgia Power is investing almost $18 billion in recent and future investments to strengthen the reliability and resiliency of its state's electrical system and to comply with federal regulations. As the utility looks ahead to its energy future, it has requested funding from the Georgia Public Utilities Commission to help with environmental programs as well as investments in infrastructure and storm restoration. 

Infrastructure Investments
Since 2013, Georgia Power has invested more than $4.1 billion in expanding transmission and distribution infrastructure, strengthening the reliability and resiliency of the electric grid, and plans to invest an additional $1.3 billion in a grid investment plan over the next three years. The company has worked to replace aging transmission assets and deploy automation technologies across the grid to reduce outage time. For example, Georgia Power has done the following:

  • Rebuilt an eight-mile transmission line from Plant McDonough through downtown Atlanta. This line is critical to the operations of customers such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Piedmont Hospital and the Atlanta Water Department.
  • Invested in Self-Healing Distribution Networks, which minimize the number of customers impacted by outages and reduce restoration times with automated restoration.

Future investments through the company's Grid Investment Plan include rebuilding 380 substations, 1,000 miles of wire and 800 distribution feeders, commonly referred to as circuits, to continue strengthening transmission and distribution infrastructure.

Storm Restoration
Georgia Power is seeking to rebuild its storm restoration fund after more than 50 severe weather events, including multiple historic storms, impacted the company's network and more than 1.5 million customers over the last six years. These storms not only depleted the storm restoration fund but they also created an additional $450 million in restoration costs not currently covered in rates. The most significant included Hurricane Michael (2018), Hurricane Irma (2017), Hurricane Matthew (2016) and Ice Storm Pax (2014).

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