EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A 49.5 MW battery energy storage system paired with the Moody Solar Facility has entered operation in Lowndes County, Georgia. The four-hour storage project strengthens grid resilience, stores surplus solar generation for peak demand periods and marks one of Georgia Power's first co-located solar and battery energy storage installations.
Company: Georgia Power
Location: Lowndes County, Georgia, USA
Project: 49.5 MW / 4-hour Solar + BESS
Status: Commissioned
Additional BESS: 715 MW under development
Future Storage: 3,000+ MW approved statewide
New Solar + BESS: 350 MW planned
Georgia Power, a regulated electric utility serving customers across the U.S. state of Georgia, has commissioned the Moody Battery Energy Storage Facility in Lowndes County, marking one of the company's first battery energy storage systems (BESS) connected to a solar generation facility. The project is located near Valdosta and provides 49.5 MW of battery storage with a four-hour discharge duration, matching the output of the adjacent Moody Solar Facility.
Company representatives joined officials from the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC), Lowndes County and the City of Valdosta to mark the completion of the project. The facility is designed to store surplus electricity generated by the nearby solar installation during periods of lower demand and discharge the stored energy back to the grid when electricity demand increases, including during peak winter mornings.
Company representatives joined officials from the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC), Lowndes County and the City of Valdosta to mark the completion of the project. The facility is designed to store surplus electricity generated by the nearby solar installation during periods of lower demand and discharge the stored energy back to the grid when electricity demand increases, including during peak winter mornings.
The successful completion of the Moody Battery Energy Storage System, ahead of schedule, is great news for our customers and for reliable energy in our state.Rick Anderson, Senior Vice President and Senior Production Officer for Georgia Power
"This project not only enhances grid resiliency but highlights our commitment to adding cost-effective resources to our diverse generation mix through programs reviewed and approved with the Georgia PSC. We appreciate the hard work of Crowder Engineering, and the other companies involved in this project, as well as the community that has supported this new energy source in Lowndes County."
According to the company, the battery and solar co-located facility captures renewable electricity produced during periods of lower demand and stores it for use when demand is higher, such as on cold winter mornings. The company said the project supports growing electricity demand under initiatives approved by the Georgia PSC through the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) process.
The Moody Battery Energy Storage Facility is one of four battery storage projects approved under the 2023 IRP Update. Georgia Power is also nearing completion of additional BESS projects in Bibb, Cherokee and Floyd counties, bringing the combined capacity of these projects to 715 MW.
The Georgia PSC has also approved the construction of nine additional battery energy storage facilities across eight sites in the state, representing more than 3,000 MW of planned storage capacity. The approved locations include Plants Bowen, Hammond, McIntosh, Wansley and Yates, along with standalone facilities in Hall and McDuffie counties. According to the company, the sites were selected based on deployment capability, existing company-owned land, proximity to substations and opportunities to utilise existing power plant locations.
In addition, Georgia Power has received approval for two solar facilities paired with battery storage with a combined capacity of 350 MW. These projects, located in Laurens and Dougherty counties, are intended to increase solar generation while limiting land disturbance through integrated project design.