Georgia Power intends to rebuild its storm restoration fund, after more than 50 severe weather events
Image: Georgia Power is offering a suite of rate plans and payment options for the customers. Photo: Courtesy of Southern Company.
US-based electric utility Georgia Power plans to invest an additional $1.3bn (£1.04bn) in a grid investment plan over the next three years.
Through its Grid Investment Plan, the company will invest in rebuilding 380 substations, 1,000 miles (1,609km) of wire and 800 distribution feeders to o continue strengthening transmission and distribution infrastructure.
Georgia Power is investing in infrastructure, storm restoration, and environmental programs in the state
Georgia Power has invested more than £3.2bn in expanding transmission and distribution infrastructure, strengthening the reliability and resiliency of the electric grid since 2013.
To reduce outage time, it has replaced aging transmission assets and deployed automation technologies across the grid.
Georgia Power intends to rebuild its storm restoration fund, after more than 50 severe weather events including historic storms such as Hurricanes Michael, Irma, and Matthew, and Ice Storm Pax, have impacted its network in recent years.
The company said that the storms have depleted the storm restoration fund, and also created an additional £355million in restoration costs, and the costs are currently not covered in the bill rates.
Georgia Power has invested more than £1.5bn in environmental compliance programs since 2013, to meet state and federal environmental requirements.
In addition, it has installed environmental controls and made updates necessary to comply with the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards Rule, the Clean Water Act (CWA); CWA’s 1982 Steam Electric Power Plant Effluent Limitations Guidelines; the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act; and Georgia Rules for Solid Waste Management, which includes the State Coal Combustion Residuals (CCR) Rule.
Georgia Power has also filed a request with the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) to increase customer rates by approximately 7% in 2020, to facilitate its further investments in Georgia’s energy future.
According to the company’s request filed with PSC, a normal residential customer using 1,000kwh per month would experience an increase of £7.71per month on their bill. A final decision by the PSC is expected in December 2019.
Georgia Power said that it is offering a suite of rate plans and payment options for the customers to fit their budget and lifestyle.