Georgia Power is seeking 500 MW of energy storage with the ability to discharge for at least two hours, either standalone or with associated renewable resources, the utility said Tuesday.
A draft request for proposals specifies the resources should be online in 2028 at the earliest and no later than the end of 2031. Projects online by Nov. 28, 2031, will be given preference. The RFP targets energy storage capacity included in the company’s integrated resource plan approved by the Georgia Public Service Commission in 2022.
The soliciation is part of Georgia Power’s ongoing efforts to add renewables and bolster the reliability of its electric grid. Earlier this month, the PSC approved five new utility-scale solar site power purchase agreements for Georgia Power, consisting of a total of 1,068 MW that will be built by third-party companies. Plans for the renewable generation were also included in Georgia Power’s 2022 IRP.
The storage RFP announced this week will be administered by independent evaluator Ascend Analytics, and a bidders conference will be held Monday for parties seeking more information. The draft RFP schedule anticipates regulator approval of RFP documents in December, proposals due in January 2026 and contracts executed about a year later.
Georgia Power said it will consider standalone energy storage with grid-charging capability, as well as storage with new or existing associated renewable resources and grid-charging capability.
Georgia Power is already operating battery energy storage systems and has plans for more. The utility’s 65-MW Mossy Branch BESS is located in Talbot County and began commercial operation in November 2024. Another 765 MW was authorized by the Georgia PSC and is projected to enter commercial operation in 2026, the utility said.
Battery storage “will continue to play a critical role in the power grid of the future, improving reliability and advancing sustainability,” the utility said in a Sept. 12 statement. “Additionally, the integration of BESS with other technologies like smart grids and electric vehicles creates new opportunities for optimizing energy use and enhancing grid resilience.”
According to the draft RFP, Georgia Power will only accept submissions for facilities that will be interconnected to the Southern Co. transmission system. Southern is Georgia Power’s parent company.
Bidders may not submit projects that locate the facility on Georgia Power property unless it is a company-owned proposal. Any storage paired with a renewable resource submission must interconnect to the same point of interconnection as the renewable resource, according to the draft RFP document.
