Georgia Power’s 260 MW BESS in Jefferson County enhances renewable energy storage and grid reliability.
As part of a statewide initiative, Georgia Power plans to add nearly 3,000 MW of additional storage.
U.S. energy storage market surged to 57.6 GWh in 2025, highlighting growing demand for grid-connected solutions.
Georgia Power started construction on a new 260-megawatt (MW) battery energy storage system (BESS) in Jefferson County, just outside the City of Wadley.
The project, approved by the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC), is strategically located adjacent to the existing Wadley solar facility and near transmission infrastructure.
According to a March 31, 2026, statement from Georgia Power, the Wadley BESS is a company-owned asset designed to enhance grid reliability and support the region’s growing renewable energy resources.
An image from the groundbreaking of Georgia Power’s Wadley battery energy storage system project. Image: Georgia Power
The groundbreaking ceremony brought together Georgia Power representatives, members of the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners, the Wadley City Council, and other community partners.
The Georgia Power development aligns with broader trends in the U.S. energy storage market, which saw installations surge to 57.6 GWh in 2025. Figures from last year showed a 30% increase over 2024 and four times the capacity added in 2022, according to a Solar Energy Industries Association report.
Total utility-scale capacity reached 137 GWh, underscoring energy storage’s emergence as core grid infrastructure for utilities and customers alike.
For nonresidential construction firms, this growing demand for reliable electricity presents opportunities for grid-connected, revenue-generating projects that reshape scopes, specifications, partnerships, and profit models.
The 260 MW system is designed to dispatch stored energy over four hours, capturing renewable energy during low-demand periods and releasing it during peak demand, such as the scorching Georgia summer.
This capability aligns with Georgia Power’s 2025 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), which identifies cost-effective strategies to meet the state’s growing energy needs.
“At Georgia Power, our collaboration with the Georgia PSC and other stakeholders is key to making necessary investments for a reliable and resilient power grid,” said Kerry Bridges, region executive for Georgia Power.
“With the construction of the 260 MW BESS in Jefferson County, we are able to better serve our customers today and support Georgia’s growth. As we expand our energy mix to include more renewable sources, these batteries will play an invaluable role in helping ensure reliability and flexibility, particularly when renewable sources are not available.”
The Wadley BESS project is being built by Burns & McDonnell and is expected to be completed in 2027.
The Jefferson County project is part of Georgia Power’s broader initiative to expand battery energy storage across the state.
The company is nearing completion of the construction of four additional BESS facilities in Bibb, Cherokee, Floyd, and Lowndes counties, totaling 765 MW. These projects were approved in the 2023 IRP Update.
Looking ahead, the Georgia PSC has approved the construction of nine new BESS facilities across seven sites, adding nearly 3,000 MW of planned storage.
Georgia Power stated that the sites were strategically chosen based on their proximity to existing infrastructure, including company-owned land, substations, and plant sites.
Planned storage site locations include Plants Bowen, Hammond, McIntosh, Wansley, and Yates, as well as standalone sites in Hall and McDuffie counties.
In addition to battery storage, Georgia Power is planning two new solar energy systems paired with battery storage, offering a combined capacity of 350 MW.
These construction projects, located in Laurens and Dougherty counties, aim to maximize solar efficiency while minimizing land disturbance.
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