Serving New Load Without Raising Rates: A Utility Perspective

In this episode of the T&D World Live podcast, we sit down with Rachel Williams, Vice President of Transmission Field Operations at Georgia Power, to discuss how utilities are navigating unprecedented load growth and the operational challenges of building the next generation of the transmission system. Williams reflects on her nearly 29-year career with Southern Company, sharing how a family legacy in the utility industry and an engineering background led her to leadership roles across multiple electric utilities, all within transmission and distribution.

The conversation centers on the rapid increase in electricity demand across Georgia and the broader U.S., driven in large part by data center development and sustained economic growth. Williams explains that Georgia Power’s load forecast has increased dramatically in just a few years, requiring the addition of roughly 8,500 megawatts of new load over a six-year period — an expansion equivalent to about half of the company’s existing system. To support this growth, Georgia Power plans to build approximately 1,000 miles of new 500-kV and 230-kV transmission lines while continuing to operate and maintain more than 16,000 miles of existing infrastructure.

Williams outlines how Georgia Power is working closely with the Georgia Public Service Commission through its integrated resource planning process to align generation resources, transmission expansion, and customer needs. She describes regulatory changes implemented to ensure that large-load customers, such as data centers, pay their fair share of the infrastructure required to serve them, helping protect existing customers from bearing additional costs. As a result of these measures, Georgia Power has frozen base rates through 2028 and projects future bill reductions as new large-load customers come online.

The discussion also addresses the practical challenges of delivering large-scale transmission projects. Williams highlights the need to modernize planning tools and project management processes that were originally designed for much slower growth. She emphasizes the importance of robust stakeholder engagement, transparency, and early communication with communities affected by new transmission development, including hosting community meetings and creating project-specific online resources.

Safety and workforce development are also key themes. Williams explains how Georgia Power is expanding its workforce while reinforcing a strong safety-first culture, particularly as new employees enter the field. She discusses the company’s focus on training, learning from experience, and fostering an environment where employees are encouraged to speak up and continuously improve safety practices.

Throughout the episode, Williams underscores the value of collaboration across the utility industry, including sharing best practices at conferences such as TechCon. She concludes by emphasizing the importance of learning from peers nationwide as utilities work to deliver reliable, affordable, and safe power systems amid historic levels of growth and change.