Georgia Power Co. says it wants to keep burning coal to meet what it forecasts as the state’s increasing electrical demand.

Georgia Power projects that energy demand on its grid will grow by about 50% by the end of 2030 as large load customers, especially data centers, continue to locate in Georgia. The utility's current energy demand load is about 16,

Officials say the amount of energy Georgia's booming data center industry needs is "staggering" and are hoping a new rule will help keep the cost away from normal ratepayers.