Georgia Power builds Big Ogeechee substation to power Savannah-area growth and storm hardened the Coastal grid

This summer in Savannah, Georgia Power will finalize a multi-year, major construction project and bring online one of the largest substations in the United States—Big Ogeechee.

Anchored in a key location in West Chatham County, along an existing high-voltage transmission line, Big Ogeechee is designed to meet the growing load forecasts of the Metropolitan Savannah Area (MSA) which includes Chatham, Bryan, and Effingham Counties. 

Big Ogeechee will increase power delivery capacity through new and existing high-voltage transmission lines that will allow for larger amounts of energy delivery to the surrounding area feeding both existing and future customers.

A key part of Georgia Power’s power delivery system, substations are banks of electrical equipment that convert the transmission line voltage coming directly from generation plants to lower levels that are appropriate for use in local communities. Substations also control the flow of electricity and protect the lines and equipment from damage.

Over the last five years, the MSA population has grown exponentially to nearly 450,000 in 2025. The population growth forecast for the area anticipates Chatham County will see 12% growth by 2045, Bryan County will see 31.2% growth by 2045, and Effingham County will experience 55.9% growth in population by 2045.

Along with population growth, manufacturing has also seen steady growth. With the addition of HGMGA Meta Plant site in Bryan County and The Savannah Chatham Manufacturing Center, the manufacturing base has grown by 29% since 2022. In 2025, there were more than 30,000 manufacturing jobs in the area, up from 17,000 in 2020.

In response to the economic growth, new residential construction across the three counties has also grown. Between 2020 and 2025 nearly 13,000 new construction permits were issued in Chatham County alone.

Big Ogeechee substation is designed to power that growth by more than doubling the power delivery capacity to the area through several new high-voltage power lines that will connect key infrastructure in the region.

One of those elements is a brand new high-voltage transmission line that runs nearly five miles down Little Neck Road in Chatham County. This new line will ensure reliability in the area for existing residential and business customers. It also ensures Georgia Power will be able to power the load growth including new residential development in the nearby area.

Big Ogeechee, a 500kV/230kV substation, is one of the largest in Georgia Power’s portfolio and is also designed to support the smaller existing substation, Little Ogeechee, nearby. Its addition also creates resiliency in the Coastal grid, hardening it against future storms.  

All along the Georgia coast, Georgia Power continues to strengthen, expand, and reinforce the power lines, poles, and substations that deliver energy every day to customers with major projects currently underway and planned for the future.

Current and future project designs, including substations like Big Ogeechee, have taken into consideration the impact of potential storms and utilize smart engineering tactics to create redundancy in the system. New, stronger infrastructure, and smart-grid technology, helps reduce outages and significantly speed restoration efforts, especially following a major storm.

As the Savannah area continues to grow, Georgia Power is committed to meeting the demand of that growth responsibly. Growth is good for Savannah. Growth means better paying jobs and a better quality of life for all residents.

Georgia Power remains committed to ensuring that the growth is powered by affordable, reliable, and increasingly clean energy for all of our customers.

To learn more about how Georgia Power is improving the grid along the coast and in the entire state visit georgiapower.com/transmissionprojects.