By Dave Williams
Capitol Beat News Service

ATLANTA — Georgia Power executives Thursday pitched a proposal to build battery energy storage systems (BESS) at four sites to the state Public Service Commission (PSC).

The Atlanta-based utility plans to construct BESS facilities adjacent to both Robins Air Force Base in Bibb County and Moody Air Force Base in Lowndes County. A third BESS would be located at Georgia Power’s retired coal-fired Plant Hammond in Floyd County.

A fourth battery-storage facility would double the storage capacity at the McGrau Ford Battery Facility under development in Cherokee County.

The projects, which would add 500 megawatts of electrical generating capacity, are included in Georgia Power’s plan to add 6,600 megawatts to the company’s energy-supply portfolio from sources including natural gas and solar energy.

“We have tremendous economic growth in Georgia,” Jeff Grubb, Georgia Power’s director of resource policy and planning, told members of the PSC Thursday.

“The BESS project portfolio is a vital part of the company’s approach to meeting the growing electricity needs of the state and continuing to provide our customers with the reliability they expect and deserve.”

Under an agreement Georgia Power reached last week with the commission’s Public Interest Advocacy Staff, the company must submit quarterly reports while the projects are under construction updating spending and the construction schedule.

The PSC is scheduled to vote on the projects Dec. 3.