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Southern Company Bets $81 Billion on Southeast Data-Center Boom

The utility is courting hyperscalers that seek steady, low‑carbon power available around the clock.

Overview

  • Southern Company raised its 2026–2030 capital plan to $81 billion to meet soaring demand from AI and cloud data centers.
  • The company says it has contracted 10 gigawatts for large‑load customers and is tracking a prospective 75 gigawatt pipeline tied to data‑center projects.
  • Vogtle Units 3 and 4, completed in 2024, make Vogtle the largest U.S. nuclear station and a source of constant, carbon‑free power attractive to big tech operators.
  • CFO David P. Poroch expects commercial electricity sales to grow about 20% a year through the end of the decade as these facilities connect to the grid.
  • A McKinsey study estimates non‑hardware data‑center construction will total about $1.7 trillion this decade, a surge steering deployments toward Georgia and the broader Southeast for lower land and energy costs.