By Ross Williams | Deputy Editor
Georgia Power says a major natural gas expansion will add about 1,500 megawatts of energy to Georgia, where an expanding population and new data center projects are expected to create demand for ever greater amounts of juice.
But experts say it will also bring more pollution to the metro Atlanta area, which is already experiencing higher than average levels of ozone.
And speaking of pollution, a new study finds that the top pollutant affecting pregnancy does not come from industry or cars, but wildfires.
Finally, more than a thousand Georgia Democrats gathered down in Savannah this weekend to strategize for November’s election, now less than 100 days away. Could Keisha Lance Bottoms have a shot at flipping the governor’s mansion for the first time in decades?
A cooling tower next to flue-gas stacks, or smoke stacks, at Georgia Power’s Plant Bowen, a coal-fired power station in Bartow County, on July 28,2026. The utility company is planning to add natural gas turbines and battery storage capacity over the next few years. Alander Rocha/Georgia Recorder
ENERGY
By Alander Rocha
A major natural gas expansion at Georgia Power’s Plant Bowen will hurt air quality in the Atlanta region, which is already struggling with ozone pollution, according to environmental groups challenging a state air permit for the project.
The Georgia Environmental Protection Division in January issued a permit authorizing Georgia Power to build new turbines that will be powered by natural gas, a fossil fuel that is mostly methane, at the Bartow County power plant, which can currently produce about 3,500 megawatts of coal-fired power.
Wildfire smoke caused unhealthy levels of air pollution across Washington, D.C., in mid-July as fires raged across Ontario, Canada. A new study examining years between 2003 and 2019 found that the primary pollutant affecting pregnancies was wildfire smoke. (Photo by Finn Gomez/Getty Images)
HEALTH
By Kelcie Moseley-Morris
A new study examining pollution levels across a 16-year span found that while general pollution levels from sources such as cars and industry have significantly declined, recent increases in wildfire smoke air pollution have offset those gains and could be contributing to negative outcomes for pregnant women and babies such as low birth weight and preterm births.
Amanda Hollowell, a candidate for Georgia’s 1st Congressional District, speaks at the Georgia Democratic Convention in Savannah on Aug. 1, 2026. Credit: Justin Taylor/The Current GA/CatchLight/Report for America
2026 ELECTION
By Craig Nelson and Robin Kemp, The Current GA
More than 1,000 Georgia Democrats gathered in Savannah Saturday for a pep rally and strategy session, brandishing their determination to put a Democrat, Keisha Lance Bottoms, into the governor’s seat for the first time in a generation and to re-elect Jon Ossoff to the U.S. Senate.
This story has been republished through a partnership with The Current, an independent, in-depth and investigative journalism website for Coastal Georgia.
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