Dive Brief:
- Georgia Power has filed its latest 20-year integrated resource plan (IRP) outlining out how the utility will meet its customers' energy needs, which calls for more renewable power and energy efficiency while simultaneously reducing the company's reliance on coal, the Atlanta Business Chronicle reports.
- As part of its IRP, which is filed every three years, Georgia Power asked regulators to approve its Renewable Energy Development Initiative, a program that will bring an additional 525 MW of renewable generation to the company's portfolio.
- The utility has also asked regulators for authorization to retire some older, dirtier generation units, including selling its share of an oil-fired combustion turbine in Intercession City, Florida to Duke Energy Florida.
Dive Insight:
Georgia Power's plan appears to be following a trend in IRPs around the nation – less coal and more renewables. In addition, the IRP includes plans to sell an older plant to Duke Energy. The utility said in a statement that it is requesting the "decertification of certain generation assets," including one coal unit and two small oil-fired combustion turbines at Plant Mitchell near Albany, Ga., as well as a combustion turbine at Plant Kraft on the Georgia coast.
And the power provider said it is also seeking to decertify and sell the company's ownership in an oil-fired combustion turbine located in Intercession City, Fla., to majority owner Duke Energy Florida.
The company also asked for authorization to move ahead with its Renewable Energy Development Initiative, designed to add 525 MW of renewable generation to its portfolio, which is in addition to the 525 MW approved in 2013, the news outlet reports.
"As we navigate the changing energy and environmental landscape, striking the right balance between reliability and affordability is crucial to protecting our customers," said John Pemberton, senior vice president and senior production officer. "We remain committed to best meeting customers' needs today while maintaining the flexibility to provide a secure energy future for Georgia."
Energy efficiency targets are "similar to those approved in the previous IRP," Georgia Power said, while adding new programs for both residential and commercial customers. By 2019, the programs will reduce peak demand approximately 1,900 MW, which is 12% of the company's current load.
But the Atlanta Business Chronicle reports that Georgia Power's plan to retire the coal-fired unit, a combustion turbine and two oil combustion turbines is less ambitious than its previous IRP, which aimed to retire 15 coal-and-oil-fired units.
The Georgia Public Service Commission is expected to hold a vote on the IRP this summer after hearings.
