Georgia is seemingly gearing up to press Virginia for the unofficial title of Data Center Alley. However, analysts with the state's Public Service Commission warn that residential customers would likely pay the price on their electricity bills.

What's happening?

As detailed by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, PSC analysts say that Georgia Power's unprecedented proposal to add 10,000 megawatts of power by 2030 could cause residential customers' electricity bills to increase by at least $20 per month. 

They advised the commission to greenlight only a third of the new power plants and batteries requested by Georgia Power. In their testimony, PSC electric section director Robert Trokey and outside consultants wrote that a speculative expansion "exposes customers to the risk of stranded costs if the anticipated load does not materialize."

For its part, Georgia Power disagreed with that assessment. A spokesperson told the AJC that the utility provider has a "committed" collection of large customers that require 11,000 megawatts for electricity service. As AJC noted to highlight this massive energy demand, Plant Vogtle's four nuclear reactors near Augusta produce around 1,100 megawatts. 

Why is this important?

The Peach State has become yet another flashpoint in the debate over whether the AI and cryptocurrency boom is adding more to our lives than it is taking. 

For one, with power-hungry data centers driving energy demand and spiking utility rates higher, residential customers are increasingly seeking ways to take back their power — literally. Case in point: solar installations surged over the first half of 2025. The Cool Down's Solar Explorer can help you navigate the ins and outs of going solar and save you money on installation costs. 

Burdensome utility rates aren't the only matter of concern. Communities report experiencing contaminated drinking water and constant noise. In Georgia and elsewhere, environmental and consumer advocates have also raised the alarm over data centers' frequent reliance on gas-fired power plants. Air pollution is associated with millions of annual premature deaths. 

What's being done about this?

The PSC may look for assurances to protect non-data center customers beyond 2028, when existing base-rate agreements expire, when it votes on whether to approve part or all of Georgia Power's request on Dec. 19. Even though Georgia Power expects substantial growth, it signed contracts with data centers before "large load" billing rules went into effect, per the AJC, potentially leaving residential customers on the hook.

"Without executed contracts under the new large load framework, there is no guarantee those costs will not be passed on to existing customers," Trokey and the consultants wrote. 

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