Plant McDonough-Atkinson is named for the late John J. ”Jack” McDonough, who served as Georgia Power’s president from 1957 to 1963 and for Henry M. Atkinson, one of the founders of Georgia Railway and Electric Company. Georgia Power retired its coal-fired units at Plant McDonough-Atkinson in 2011 and added three natural gas combined cycle units, which began commercially operating in 2012. The three natural gas units are capable of producing 2,520 megawatts of electricity and can supply enough energy to power approximately 1.7 million homes.
The company prepares and submits an ash pond dewatering plan to EPD for its approval. This site-specific plan identifies the enhanced water treatment system, controls and monitoring that will be used during the process to ensure that the water discharged is protective of water quality standards.
Discharged water is being actively sampled in compliance with federal and state regulations. Data results will be updated as the process continues.