Georgia Power's second natural gas unit at Plant McDonough in Smyrna has started producing electricity, the company said Monday.

The 840-megawatt unit is the second of three that will produce natural gas-fired electricity at the site. The first unit started producing power in Dec. 2011. All three units will produce enough electricity to power 625,000 homes.

Georgia Power closed Plant McDonough's two coal-fired units. The utility is considering closing other coal-fired units to comply with a suite of environmental rules. Some units may be equipped with pollution controls or converted to run on natural gas instead.

About the Author

Keep Reading

In this December 2017 photo, passengers feel the effects of a massive power outage at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport as they endure long lines to claim baggage and ride shuttles. (Bob Andres/AJC)

Credit: Bob Andres

Featured

Scott Jackson (right), business service consultant for WorkSource Fulton, helps job seekers with their applications in a mobile career center at a job fair hosted by Goodwill Career Center in Atlanta. (Ziyu Julian Zhu/AJC)

Credit: Ziyu Julian Zhu/AJC