Georgia Power has unveiled a new battery energy storage facility at the former Plant Hammond site in Floyd County, marking a new chapter for the property that once housed a major coal-fired power plant.

The company showcased the facility Wednesday, October 21, after the system began operating the previous Friday.

The new facility can deliver approximately 57.5 megawatts of electricity for up to four hours, allowing Georgia Power to store energy when demand and costs are lower and release it back onto the electrical grid when demand increases.

Kenneth Poole, Georgia Power’s Compliance and Support Manager for Renewable and Resilient Generation, said the technology is designed to help lower electricity costs by reducing the need to bring more expensive power sources online during periods of high demand.

The facility currently includes 68 battery containers, with plans to eventually expand to approximately 250 containers. The batteries are manufactured by Tesla and use lithium iron phosphate technology.

According to Georgia Power officials, the batteries carry a 15-year guarantee, although the company expects them to remain operational for approximately 20 years.

Safety measures include liquid-cooled battery systems, and local firefighters have received specialized training to respond to potential emergencies at the facility.

The project is located at the former Plant Hammond coal-fired power station, which began operating in 1954 and was retired in 2019. At its peak, the plant’s four generating units were capable of producing approximately 800 megawatts of electricity.

Georgia Power is repurposing existing electrical infrastructure at the site, allowing the company to take advantage of established transmission connections rather than building an entirely new facility.

The Hammond project is part of a larger statewide investment in battery storage technology intended to improve electrical reliability and help Georgia meet growing energy demands.