Plant McDonough - Smyrna 230 kV Transmission Line FAQ'S

Why is this project necessary?
Georgia Power is retiring two coal-fueled units at Plant McDonough (that produce about 500MW's) and replacing those units with three 840-megawatt combined cycle natural gas units which will provide a larger and cleaner source of energy close to the Metro Atlanta area.

In order to support the additional generation form the new units that are scheduled to come on-line between 2011 and 2012, Georgia Power's infrastructure will need to be upgraded.

How will this project benefit area residents and businesses?
The rebuilt Plant McDonough will provide needed power for Cobb County and Metro Atlanta. It provides an energy source close to the customers who are using it, which is important to keeping the lights on. The transmission lines are necessary to move the power from the plant to area substations and ultimately, to you, the customer. During the high-demand summer season, customers within 10 miles of the plant will use most of the power generated there.

The new generating units also provide tremendous environmental benefits. Even though we will be able to generate three times more power than the old plant, emissions will drop significantly. We expect the new plant to cut:

• Nitrogen oxide (NOx) by 85 percent
• Sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions by more than 99 percent
• Mercury (Hg) by 95 percent
• Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions rate by 50 percent (lb/MWh)
• Particulate (PM10) emissions by 75 percent

Why are you doing this work here and not in other areas of the state?
We, and other utilities, are doing transmission work similar to this all across Georgia where customer growth is occurring and electricity use is increasing. Replacing Plant McDonough provides a unique opportunity to reuse a longstanding plant site and put a large generation source close to crowded, customer demand centers in Metro Atlanta. This raises efficiency, improves reliability, helps meet growing demand and brings large environmental benefits.

Have you considered alternate routes or types of construction?
Georgia Power identified and evaluated a number of potential routes for the transmission line. Then a location committee selected the preferred route from the most suitable alternatives. In making its decision, committee members considered engineering, cost and community impact perspectives including current land uses in the area, existing corridors, environmental conditions and factors related to the construction, operation and maintenance of the line.

Why can't you build these lines underground?
We place lines underground when it is technically, economically and operationally feasible. There are many complications with building transmission lines underground, and the result may not be an improvement from overhead lines. The poles required to connect underground cables to our system have more of an impact on aesthetics than a standard overhead line. The cost for underground is many times greater and wide cleared easements are still required. Construction takes much longer and the need to build in redundancy adds still more cost. Also, when outages occur, it typically takes longer to find and fix problems with underground than with overhead lines.

Will the electricity bills of area residents and other ratepayers increase due to the transmission project?
Not immediately. These costs are a part of Georgia Power's normal capital improvement budget and are added into the overall rate base. The Georgia Public Service Commission (GPSC) approves Georgia Power rates based on the rate base as well as other factors. This project will not be included in the rate base until it actually goes into service and then rates only change when the PSC approves a base rate case.

What impact will the project have on the environment?
We do not anticipate any adverse impact to the environment because of this project. Georgia Power adheres strictly to state and federal environmental regulations and works closely with the Department of Natural Resources and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service to minimize any impact to wetlands and endangered species.

What about EMF(s) from the new line?
Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) from the new line may concern some individuals; however, research by the scientific community over several decades has found no conclusive evidence that fields from transmission lines, such as these, cause or contribute to adverse health effects. Georgia Power continues to monitor research in this area. If you would like more information, please contact us or review reports from a number of reputable scientific organizations online:

• World Health Organization EMF Fact Sheet
• International Agency for Research on Cancer
• NIEHS Press Release RAPID Director's Report to Congress

Will the project affect area property owners?
We do not expect any displacement of homeowners, during this project. Some of this line route dates to early in the last century, however, and we must bring it up to current right of way standards. We will work with property owners to compensate them for any additional rights that are required.

There will be significant construction activity along the identified routes during each phase of construction, but crews will take care to keep disruptions to residents and businesses to a minimum.

What are you doing to let property owners know what is going on?
In May 2008, company officials met with area newspaper reporters to inform them of the project. Several news stories appeared after these meetings.

Then, in mid June 2008, Georgia Power mailed certified letters to all property owners of record along the route of this transmission line project announcing public information meetings required by Title 22 O.C.G.A. We also placed legal notices in the Atlanta Journal & Constitution and Marietta Daily Journal. The meetings will be held at the Smyrna Community Center on July 22, 2008 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

In addition, this Web site will be available throughout the project. If you do not find the information you need, please call Owen Searcy at 678-628-2913 or send us a message.

Will Georgia Power pay for any damage to my property that may occur because of crews working on these projects?
Georgia Power will repair, restore or replace any structures or landscaping that we damage or disrupt during the construction process. After construction, we will leave the area clear and in good condition.

What is the timeline for the project?
You can find the current schedule of work on the McDonough Project Intro page.