History of Georgia Power in Timeline

Georgia Power, established in 1902 as the Georgia Railway and Power Company, is an electric utility based in Atlanta, Georgia. It initially operated streetcars in Atlanta, succeeding the Atlanta Consolidated Street Railway Company. It is a major provider of electricity in Georgia.

1902: Georgia Railway and Power Company Begins Operations

In 1902, the Georgia Railway and Power Company started as a company running streetcars in Atlanta, succeeding the Atlanta Consolidated Street Railway Company.

1902: Georgia Railway and Power Company Established

In 1902, the Georgia Railway and Power Company was established and began operating streetcars in Atlanta, succeeding the Atlanta Consolidated Street Railway Company.

1937: Georgia Power Operates Trolleybuses in Atlanta

From 1937 until 1950, Georgia Power operated trolleybuses in Atlanta.

1950: Largest Trolley Bus System and Atlanta Transit Strike

In 1950, Georgia Power's network of 31 electric bus routes was the largest trolley bus system in the United States. Following the Atlanta transit strike of 1950, the Atlanta Transit Company took over operations.

2006: Plant Scherer's Carbon Dioxide Emissions

According to Natural History Magazine, in 2006, the Robert W. Scherer Power Plant was the largest single point-source for carbon dioxide emissions in the United States.

2006: Savannah Electric & Power Company Merged into Georgia Power

In 2006, the Savannah Electric & Power Company, previously a separate subsidiary of Southern Company, was merged into Georgia Power.

November 2007: Plant Scherer Ranked 20th in Global Carbon Dioxide Emissions

In November 2007, the Robert W. Scherer Power Plant was ranked 20th in the world in terms of carbon dioxide emissions by the Center for Global Development.

2011: Georgia Power Proposes Plant Mitchell Conversion

In 2011, Georgia Power requested approval to convert the coal-fired Plant Mitchell to run on wood fuel.

2012: Projected Operation Start for Biomass Plant

If approved, the retrofit of Plant Mitchell would have begun in 2011, and the biomass plant would have started operating in mid-2012.

2014: Georgia Power Decertifies Plant Mitchell

In 2014, Georgia Power announced its intention to decertify Plant Mitchell and close its operations by April 2015.

April 2015: Intention to Close Plant Mitchell Operations

In 2014, the company announced it was decertifying the plant and intended to close its operations by April 2015.

2016: Plant Mitchell Shutdown

Plant Mitchell was shut down in 2016.

August 2018: Moody's Downgrades Georgia Power's Credit Rating

In August 2018, following cost increases for building additional nuclear reactors at the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, Moody's downgraded Georgia Power's credit ratings from A3 to Baa1.

September 2018: Georgia Power Agrees to Additional Costs for Vogtle Project

In September 2018, Georgia Power agreed to pay a larger proportion of the costs for the smaller project partners to sustain the project if completion costs exceeded $9.2 billion.

2019: Georgia Power Seeks Rate Increase

In 2019, Georgia Power's CEO, Paul Bowers, requested approval from state regulators to add approximately $200 a year to the average residential customer's bills.

June 2021: Georgia Power Seeks Additional Rate Increase

In June 2021, Georgia Power requested a $235 million a year rate increase, an overall 10% increase, to recover capital construction costs and operating costs once Vogtle unit 3 starts operation.

August 2022: EPA Fines Georgia Power for Oil Spill Prevention Violations

In August 2022, the EPA fined Georgia Power $1,906 after an Atlanta facility failed an audit for oil spill prevention due to lacking a method for predicting oil spills, a containment plan, and adequate drainage.