Several forces within GE Vernova align in its new Energy of Change in Action storytelling campaign: a century-old commitment to breakthrough ideas, the relentless optimism of the company’s employees, and their common sense of purpose in meeting tomorrow’s challenges today. From developing advanced grid technologies in France to leading wind services in Brazil to managing turbine sites around the world, GE Vernova’s brilliant engineers are driving the energy transition forward.

A bolt of lightning crackles through the air. An instant later there’s a flash, followed by an ominous sizzle: the lightning struck a powerline. Normally, you’d run inside and call the electric company.

The AI data center boom is now a big and freewheeling American business story. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, this quickly emerging industrial demand for power will help drive U.S. electricity generation to all-time highs not just this year but next year as well.

Like many science-obsessed kids in the 1990s, William Tan wanted to be an astronaut when he grew up. Then came a reality check. “I realized I wasn’t a citizen of a country that sent people to space,” says Malaysian-born-and-raised Tan, who is now senior robotics and autonomous systems engineer at GE Vernova’s Advanced Research Center in Niskayuna, New York.

Everyone loves a vacation. But that’s the problem: The world’s holiday destinations are bursting at the seams with visitors. Workers at the Louvre in Paris recently went on strike, saying they were suffering from exhaustion.

A charming aphorism like “A dollar saved is a dollar earned” probably sounds old-fashioned to the modern ear. In the world of manufacturing, however, where gains from efficiency can be substantial, the observation stands as an enduring truth. Today’s great industrial game, while still concentrating on financial savings, is very much directed to emissions savings, and all the ways to reduce energy inputs. How to approach that, exactly?

Global electricity demand busted out of its slumber last year, largely attributed to factors such as industrialization, data centers, and electric vehicles, leaping forward by 4.3%. That’s more than twice the annual average of the past decade, according to the International Energy Agency.

Zigzagging across fields, within sight of the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it downtown of Hermleigh, Texas, the Pyron Wind Farm is typical of America’s wind power fleet: efficient, high-tech, and Texas-sized.

The peculiar machine described in the 1920 issue of GE Review — essentially a giant engine designed to produce no mechanical power — seems like nothing more than a charming relic from the early years of electrification.

Tucker, GA (May 20, 2025) – Today, Oglethorpe Power announced a major milestone in its efforts to supply its 38 member electric cooperatives with more generation to help meet Georgia’s growing electricity demand, selecting GE Vernova’s 7HA.03 combined-cycle technology for its new natural gas plant in Monroe County. As part of the agreement, GE Vernova is expected to supply two of its high-efficiency 7HA.03 gas turbines, two H84 hydrogen-cooled generators, two triple-pressure with reheat Heat Recovery Steam Generators and two STF-D600 steam turbines with H65 hydrogen-cooled generators. The gas turbines are manufactured in GE Vernova’s Greenville, South Carolina facility. In addition, GE Vernova is selected to provide a 20-year long-term service agreement, including all services and parts for the HA gas turbines, steam turbines and associated generators, to maintain the highest availability and reliability possible.

“GE Vernova’s advanced combined-cycle technology and services will help make Oglethorpe Power’s new Monroe County facility among the highest-performing, lowest-emitting and most efficient natural gas plants in Georgia,” said Oglethorpe Power President & CEO Annalisa Bloodworth. “We are proud to secure the technology for this critical energy project at a time when utilities across the globe are seeking solutions to meet rapidly growing energy demand. Once operational, this facility is expected to generate more than 1,400 megawatts of reliable energy for our members and the Georgia communities they serve.” Oglethorpe Power has collaborated with GE Vernova for many years to maintain and enhance existing turbines within its diverse resource portfolio.

“We are honored to have been selected to provide our highly efficient H-Class combined-cycle equipment for Oglethorpe Power’s new plant in Georgia,” said Dave Ross, CEO of GE Vernova’s Gas Power Americas region. “GE Vernova’s HA gas turbine fleet is among the most responsive and flexible in the industry, and we’re proud to support Oglethorpe Power and its members in meeting the state’s growing energy demands by delivering reliable electricity powered by our cutting-edge and highly efficient technology.”

Oglethorpe Power has expanded its generation capacity with eight natural gas-fired acquisitions in Georgia over the last 16 years, totaling more than 3,600 megawatts, and has also significantly invested in emission-free nuclear energy with the completion of the Vogtle expansion project. Additionally, the company co-owns Units 1 and 2 of Plant Scherer, a coal-fired generation facility also located in Monroe County, which provides more than 1,000 megawatts of dispatchable energy, providing tremendous reliability to the electric grid through onsite fuel storage. Oglethorpe Power also owns and operates more than 800 megawatts of pumped-storage hydroelectric generation.

As a result of this diverse generation portfolio, Oglethorpe Power projects that its carbon emissions intensity rate will decline by 41 percent by the end of 2025 compared to 2005 levels, while at the same time anticipating a 68 percent increase in the energy it generates for its member cooperatives. Oglethorpe Power’s investment in GE Vernova’s highly efficient technology will continue to support the company’s measured transition to a lower-carbon future.

Following a successful permitting process for the Monroe County combined-cycle project, Oglethorpe Power plans to begin work onsite as early as Fall 2025 and break ground shortly thereafter, with commercial operation expected to begin in 2029. Once all necessary permits have been received, additional details on the construction process and timeline for the project will be available at www.opc.com/newgeneration.

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Notes to editors:
The Oglethorpe Power project is tied to a Slot Reservation Agreement signed with GE Vernova in 4Q 2024. The order is expected to be booked in 2025.

About Oglethorpe Power

Oglethorpe Power is among the nation’s largest power supply cooperatives and is one of the largest energy producers in Georgia. With more than $16 billion in assets, Oglethorpe Power owns and operates a diverse portfolio of resources to provide reliable, affordable, safe and environmentally responsible energy to 38 consumer-owned, not-for-profit Electric Membership Cooperatives (EMCs) that provide retail electricity to approximately 4.7 million Georgians. Through its investment in nuclear, natural gas, hydro and coal resources, Oglethorpe Power’s generation fleet has a combined capacity of more than 9,300 megawatts. For more information, visit www.opc.com.

Contact:                      Blair Romero

Phone Number:          770-270-7290

Email:                         [email protected]