Georgia Power to Decertify Coal Units, Says Continued Operation “Uneconomical”

Georgia Power last week said it would seek the Georgia Public Service Commission’s approval to decertify two coal-generating units totaling 569 MW. The decision was based on “a need to install environmental controls to meet a variety of existing and expected environmental regulations,” the company said.

The request to decertify Units 1 and 2 at Plant Branch in Putnam Co. will be included in Georgia Power’s updated Integrated Resource Plan filing with the commission in late summer. The company expects to ask for decertification of the units as of the effective dates of the Georgia Multipollutant Rule, which are currently anticipated to be Dec. 31, 2013 for Unit 1 and Oct. 1, 2013 for Unit 2.

"After an extensive analysis of the cost to comply with environmental regulations, we have determined the continued operation of these units would be uneconomical for our customers," said Georgia Power President and CEO Paul Bowers. "This decision is in keeping with our focus to provide affordable and reliable electricity for our customers."

The Southern Co. subsidiary said it would continue to evaluate existing and expected federal and state environmental rules involving air emissions, water treatment, coal ash, and gypsum to determine the economics of installing additional environmental controls on generating units at other Georgia Power plants, including Plant Branch Units 3 and 4.

Georgia Power currently operates 9,686 MW of coal-fueled generation at 10 plants across the state. The commission is expected to vote on the decertification request in spring 2012.

Sources: Georgia Power, POWERnews