SO · News · 20260731N
Data Center / Load Growth
SOUTHERN CO · 2026-07-31 · Importance 83 · Surprise 82 · In source text
Southern Company reported a 55% increase in data-center demand during the second quarter of 2026. The company signed 6 GW of new large-load contracts, including a 3.2 GW, 25-year power agreement with OpenAI for a planned Georgia data center. Contracted large-load capacity reached more than 17 GW, supported by customer growth and demand from data centers and large industrial manufacturers in the Southeast. The company is preparing requests for proposals for additional generation resources to serve this load.
Key facts
- Southern Company secured a 3.2 GW, 25-year contract with OpenAI. source
- Southern Company reported total contracted large-load pipeline of over 17 GW. source
Impact estimates
| metric | direction | stage | expected | basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| revenue | positive | committed | — | Southern Company secured a 3.2 GW, 25-year contract with OpenAI. |
| revenue | positive | committed | — | Southern Company reported total contracted large-load pipeline of over 17 GW. |