Oglethorpe Power upping commitment to natural gas

Oglethorpe Power is going all-in on natural gas as a source of electrical generation.

The Tucker-based utility, which serves 38 electric cooperatives, announced plans recently to build two new natural gas projects in Monroe and Talbot counties.

The larger of the two, to be located in the city of Forsyth, will produce about 1,200 megawatts of electricity on land Oglethorpe Power already owns. Representing a $2 billion investment, the new facility will be among the highest-performing, lowest- emitting and most efficient natural gas plants in Georgia, the utility wrote in a news release.

The second project will be constructed at an existing plant in Box Springs. The 240-megawatt unit will represent an investment of about $360 million.

The additional generating capacity is necessary to keep pace with Georgia's rapid growth, said Mike Smith, Oglethorpe Power's president and CEO.

'The electric cooperatives we serve need more energy capacity to meet their increasing demand,' Smith said. 'These two new natural gas projects demonstrate growth in Oglethorpe Power’s generation portfolio and our focus on reliable, affordable and sustainable energy for our members.'

The two projects are part of Oglethorpe Power's goal of reducing the utility's carbon emissions by next year 47% below 2005 levels.

The company will release a timeline for both projects once all necessary permits have been obtained.