Georgia regulators last week approved a deal between Georgia Power and Google under which the tech company will help finance upgrades to four older nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle and Plant Hatch. The new subscription program lets large customers pay a fee on top of their electricity bills to cover upgrade costs; in exchange, Google receives credit toward its 2030 carbon-free energy goal. According to Grist, Commissioner Stan Wise welcomed the arrangement, saying it brings around 100 megawatts of carbon-free energy paid for by someone else.
The utility expects the work to add 96 megawatts of nuclear capacity and provide approximately $900 million in projected benefits to customers over the life of the units, though precise agreement details have not been made public. Google and Georgia Power both framed the deal as a way to support growing electricity demand from digital infrastructure while keeping rates affordable.
Separately, Google announced a partnership with Constellation Energy to fund similar upgrades at reactors in Illinois, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, adding 890 megawatts to the PJM grid. Amazon has also announced a deal to add capacity at a Constellation plant in Maryland. The source notes that nuclear power qualifies as carbon-free and can generate around the clock, unlike solar and wind. With only one source, there are no differing accounts to compare.