SO · News · 20260805N

Data Center / Load Growth

SOUTHERN CO · 2026-08-05 · Importance 83 · Surprise 82

Southern Company’s contracted large load increased to 17 GW, up 6 GW since the first quarter of 2026, primarily because of data-center demand. The portfolio includes a 3.2-GW electricity contract between OpenAI and Georgia Power for a proposed data center in Georgia, with a 1-GW flexible demand-response provision. The project is associated with a reported $20 billion data-center investment in Effingham County, and the contract was expected to take effect on August 14, 2026. Management emphasized substantial capital spending and efforts to ensure large customers cover related infrastructure costs.

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