en.Wedoany.com Report on Mar 28th, Georgia Power recently secured its largest-ever procurement of distributed generation (DG) in the company's history, reflecting the growing value of distributed energy resources for utilities and grid operators. The regulatory body, the Georgia Public Service Commission, has approved 16 new distributed generation contracts, totaling 70 megawatts of third-party solar projects. These contracts follow the addition of 41 megawatts of distributed solar two years ago.
Rick Anderson, Senior Vice President and Senior Production Officer at Georgia Power, stated: "Georgia's power demand continues to grow, driven by strong economic activity. This milestone demonstrates how distributed generation solar, through effective planning with the Georgia Public Service Commission, helps us deliver clean, reliable energy to our customers. By partnering with solar developers across the state, we are expanding access to cost-effective renewable energy while strengthening our energy infrastructure, maintaining reliability, and preserving energy affordability for residents."
The company is overseeing the deployment of over 110 megawatts of new solar projects and plans to seek an additional over 100 megawatts of solar distributed generation in the next two years to expand its solar portfolio. As approved in the 2025 Integrated Resource Plan, two additional distributed generation solicitations, each targeting 50 megawatts, will be issued in 2026 and 2027, with expected commercial operation dates in 2028.
Distributed generation provides more power at the grid's edge, helping to offset bottlenecks in utility-scale projects. Utilities and energy customers are increasingly adopting a comprehensive approach to developing new energy sources, including renewables. "Behind-the-meter" projects offer energy resilience for specific customers while enhancing their value proposition by providing grid services.
In an EnergyTech QuickChat, Todd Jackson, Vice President of Corporate Development at distributed generation developer PowerSecure, noted that distributed energy resources are transitioning from backup assets to critical tools for power resilience and supply. Both PowerSecure and Georgia Power are owned by Southern Company.
Jackson said: "I think utilities are doing the right thing with distributed energy projects... it helps with the rapid deployment of distributed energy." He added that distributed generation owners and customers "are playing a role in ensuring the grid is as robust as possible, and utilities and grid operators are embracing that. It's becoming a good marriage of both working together to solve the evolving needs of the grid."
