Georgia Power begins construction of newest battery storage system in Wadley, Ga.
Company to build 260 MW BESS to meet growing energy needs
ATLANTA, March 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia Power recently started construction on a new 260 megawatt (MW) battery energy storage system (BESS) in Jefferson County, Ga. just outside of the City of Wadley. The project, approved by the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC), is located beside the existing third-party owned Wadley solar facility and near existing transmission infrastructure. The new Wadley BESS is a company-owned asset that strengthens the grid and the area's growing renewable energy resources.
Members of the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners, the Wadley City Council, and other community partners joined Georgia Power leaders to break ground on the project, underscoring the strong partnerships that will help bring this project to life. The event spotlighted not only the importance of the project but also the lasting economic impact and benefits it will bring to Jefferson County.
"On behalf of the Jefferson County community, we welcome this Georgia Power project," said Mitchell McGraw, chairman of the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners. "We're so proud to have your investment in Jefferson County, and we hope for more in the future."
Designed to quickly dispatch stored energy over a four-hour period, the 260 MW system will strengthen reliability and support the growing mix of renewable resources on Georgia's electric system. At this battery and solar co-located facility, battery energy storage helps capture power generated by renewable resources to use during peak demand periods, such as on cold winter mornings. Battery energy storage helps capture renewable resources produced during periods when the demand for electricity is lower, to use when the demand is higher, such as on cold winter mornings. These projects help to address the state's growing power needs identified in the 2025 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) in a cost-effective and strategic manner.
"At Georgia Power, our collaboration with the Georgia PSC and other stakeholders is key to making necessary investments for a reliable and resilient power grid," said Kerry Bridges, region executive for Georgia Power. "With the construction of the 260 MW BESS in Jefferson County, we are able to better serve our customers today and support Georgia's growth. As we expand our energy mix to include more renewable sources, these batteries will play an invaluable role in helping ensure reliability and flexibility, particularly when renewable sources are not available."
The Wadley BESS project, constructed by Burns & McDonnell, is expected to be completed in 2027.
Georgia Power adding BESS statewide
Across the state, Georgia Power is nearing completion of four new BESS facilities totaling 765 MW in Bibb, Cherokee, Floyd, and Lowndes counties, projects previously approved in the 2023 IRP Update.
Building on this momentum, the Georgia PSC approved the construction of nine new BESS facilities strategically placed on seven sites throughout the state, adding nearly 3,000 MW of additional planned storage. The sites were strategically selected based on deployment capabilities, including the opportunity to locate additional resources at existing company plant sites, existing company-owned land, and proximity to substations or current company facilities. New BESS facilities include locations at Plants Bowen, Hammond, McIntosh, Wansley and Yates and stand-alone locations in Hall and McDuffie counties.
To support the increasing demand for renewable energy, the company is also planning two new state-of-the-art solar systems paired with battery storage for a combined capacity of 350 MW. These projects are designed to maximize high solar irradiance, while minimizing land disturbance. New solar + BESS projects include locations in Laurens and Dougherty County.
About Georgia Power
Georgia Power is the largest electric subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE:SO), America's premier energy company. Value, Reliability, Customer Service and Stewardship are the cornerstones of the company's promise to 2.8 million customers in all but four of Georgia's 159 counties. Committed to delivering clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy, Georgia Power maintains a diverse, innovative generation mix that includes nuclear, coal and natural gas, as well as renewables such as solar, hydroelectric and wind. Georgia Power offers rates below the national average, focuses on delivering world-class service to its customers every day and the company is recognized by J.D. Power as an industry leader in customer satisfaction. For more information, visit www.GeorgiaPower.com and connect with the company on Facebook (Facebook.com/GeorgiaPower), X (X.com/GeorgiaPower) and Instagram (Instagram.com/ga_power).
Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements
Certain information contained in this release is forward-looking information based on current expectations and plans that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking information includes, among other things, statements concerning the expected completion date for the Wadley BESS project. Georgia Power cautions that there are certain factors that can cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information that has been provided. The reader is cautioned not to put undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is not a guarantee of future performance and is subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside the control of Georgia Power; accordingly, there can be no assurance that such suggested results will be realized. The following factors, in addition to those discussed in Georgia Power's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 and subsequent securities filings, could cause actual results to differ materially from management expectations as suggested by such forward-looking information: the ability to control costs and avoid cost and schedule overruns during the development, construction and operation of facilities or other projects due to challenges which include, but are not limited to, changes in labor costs, availability, and productivity, challenges with the management of contractors or vendors, subcontractor performance, adverse weather conditions, shortages, delays, increased costs or inconsistent quality of equipment, materials and labor, contractor or supplier delay, the impacts of inflation and trade policies (including tariffs and other trade measures) of the United States and other countries, delays due to judicial or regulatory action, nonperformance under construction, operating or other agreements, operational readiness, including specialized operator training and required site safety programs, engineering or design problems or any remediation related thereto, design and other licensing-based compliance matters, challenges with start-up activities, including major equipment failure, or system integration and/or operational performance, challenges related to future epidemic or pandemic health events, continued public and policymaker support for projects, environmental and geological conditions, delays or increased costs to interconnect facilities to transmission grids and increased financing costs as a result of changes in interest rates or as a result of project delays; legal proceedings and regulatory approvals and actions related to past, ongoing and proposed construction projects; the ability to construct facilities in accordance with the requirements of permits and licenses, to satisfy any environmental performance standards and the requirements of tax credits and other incentives and to integrate facilities into the Southern Company system upon completion of construction; and catastrophic events such as fires, including wildfires, land movement, earthquakes, explosions, floods, high winds, tornadoes, hurricanes and other storms, solar flares, droughts, future epidemic or pandemic health events, wars, political unrest, or other similar occurrences. Georgia Power expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking information.
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SOURCE Georgia Power