The Trump administration wants to repeal the Biden-era EPA rule that forced existing coal plants to either install carbon capture or close by 2032, and new gas plants to run less often unless they capture emissions. In Georgia, that rule was already pushing Georgia Power to retire its coal fleet. Now Plant Bowen and Plant Scherer, two of the country's top CO2 emitters, are likely to keep running, and new gas turbines built for data center demand could operate far more than the 40% cap the old rule allowed. Environmental groups are challenging the repeal in court, and a public comment period is still open. But utilities have been planning for this outcome since the election. Southern Company supports regulatory certainty, yet its statement avoided any mention of its net zero by 2050 goal. If the repeal stands, Georgia's power sector emissions could rise significantly, just as electricity demand from data centers keeps growing.
