Google’s Search for Power Leads to Georgia’s Nuclear Plants
Synopsis
Google’s agreement with Georgia Power covers nuclear upgrades at Vogtle and Hatch, with 96 MW of additional capacity proposed.
Google Georgia Power nuclear deal will fund upgrades to the utility’s Vogtle and Hatch plants that will boost their combined electricity production by about 96 megawatts.
The deal, struck on Sept. 21, still requires the approval from the Georgia Public Service Commission before any proposed Nuclear Uprate tariff based on the incremental nuclear generation can be accepted by Google.
The deal stands to save around $900 million in customer benefits over the units' lifetimes, according to Georgia Power.
Nuclear output to rise at Vogtle and Hatch
Upgrades to the equipment at the two nuclear power plants are planned as part of the Google Georgia Power nuclear deal, including turbines, pumps, motors and cooling systems.
The projects do not involve new reactors, but will augment the current reactor capacity. Georgia Power has the authorization for a longer power uprate for Vogtle Units 1 and 2 in its 2025 Integrated Resource Plan.
The new filing seeks approval of the same uprates at Hatch Units 1 and 2.
According to Georgia Power, they have an approximate total generating capacity of 14,775 MW and 2.83 million customers. Of the company's energy mix in 2025, 28% came from nuclear power.
According to the latest Georgia Power plant figures, Vogtle has four reactors generating approximately 4,664 MW while Hatch's two reactors generate approximately 1,848 MW.
Global nuclear capacity expands
The Georgia Power nuclear deal is part of a general increase in nuclear investment and construction. At the end of 2025, nuclear capacity amounted to 420 GW globally and 78 GW was under construction in 15 countries, according to the International Energy Agency.
Half of the nuclear capacity under construction was in China, and India, Egypt and Türkiye had about 5 GW each under construction. The EIA data, using the IEA's reactor database, showed that operating nuclear generating capacity is the largest in the world for the United States, followed by France, China, Russia and South Korea.
Electricity consumption in data centres is also rising. The IEA expects global power consumption in data centres to increase to 950 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2030 from 485 TWh in 2025.
Georgia Power's parent, Southern Company, had $15.37 billion in operating revenues and $2.53 billion in net income for the first half of 2026.
Google's parent company Alphabet has generated $102.3 billion of revenue in its second quarter of 2026.
The Georgia Public Service Commission must review and approve the tariff and associated upgrades for the deal before it can take effect.
Source: Bloomberg
Pooja Malik is a business journalist with over six years of experience covering startups, entrepreneurship, and emerging trends. She has previously worked with leading media platforms such as YourStory Media and BW BusinessWorld, where she reported on business, policy, and market developments. Currently, she serves as Editor at The Inspirepreneur Magazine, where she writes and edits stories across business, lifestyle, and travel, with a focus on clarity, accuracy, and reader relevance.
