Report on Georgia Power energy request casts doubt; Next Generation 911

Summary

Georgia Today – December 18, 2025

Host: Orlando Montoya (GPB News)
Main Topics: Georgia Power capacity request, 2020 election phone call, Georgia Access health plans, Next Generation 911, community sports grants, high school football, holiday package delivery

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Georgia Today delivers an insightful mix of investigative reporting and community updates. The show examines skepticism surrounding Georgia Power’s major energy expansion request, reviews newly released audio evidence tied to Georgia’s role in the 2020 election, explores the state’s lag in updating its 911 system, highlights efforts to increase youth sports participation, celebrates a high school football record, and provides expert advice on holiday package deliveries amid logistical strains.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Georgia Power’s Data Center Capacity Request

[00:36 – 01:45]

• Issue: Georgia Power requests permission to add nearly 10 gigawatts of new generation capacity due to projected demand from new data centers.
• Skeptical Report: Nonprofits Greenlink Analytics and Science for Georgia used public data and Monte Carlo simulations (hundreds of thousands of runs) to assess this projection.
  • Findings: Only 1 in 500 simulations justified Georgia Power’s forecast; the majority predicted much lower demand.
  • PSC staff analysis also suggests trends justify just a third of the requested increase.
• Quote:
  • “Only 1 in 500 simulations agreed with or exceeded their prediction and then everything else was lower than their prediction.” – Amy Sharma, Science for Georgia ([01:22])
• Context: State Public Service Commission to rule on the request imminently.

2. Recap: 2020 Election Phone Call Release

[01:45 – 02:56]

• Background: The New York Times released audio of a 2020 call between former President Trump and Georgia House Speaker David Ralston, where Trump urges a special legislative session to overturn Georgia’s election results.
• Expert Perspective:
  • Andra Gillespie (Emory University):
    • Immediate political implications are unlikely but this further documents the pressure applied on Georgia officials.
    • Quote:
      • “I think when people have some distance from it, they're going to look at evidence like this phone call to come out and actually provide an accurate record of what happened.” ([02:36])
• Legal Outcome: The case against Trump and 18 others for election interference was dropped last month.

3. Georgia Access Health Plans: Enrollment Drop

[02:56 – 03:54]

• Current Stats:
  • 111,000 new enrollments, less than half compared to last year.
  • 444,000 have maintained their plans.
• Issue: Many are facing increased premiums due to expiring federal tax credits.

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4. Modernizing 911: Next Generation Initiatives

[03:54 – 04:42]

• Situation: Georgia is behind in implementing Next Generation 911 (NextGen911), which would enhance emergency response and data accuracy.
• Study Committee Report:
  • Chaired by Rep. Chuck Martin.
  • Recommends modernization without increasing the existing $1.50/month 911 phone bill fee.
  • Current fee generates ~$250 million/year; unclear if this will cover upgrade costs, as other states have spent tens of millions.
  • Local governments will incur their own costs; a constitutional amendment for NextGen911 spending will be drafted for voter approval.
• Quote:
  • “That generates somewhere on the order of a quarter billion a year.” – Rep. Chuck Martin ([04:11])

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5. Community & Sports Initiatives

[04:42 – 06:16]

• Delta Air Lines: President Glenn Houston to retire; successor not named.
• Urban Development: Historic Joseph Neel’s Department Store sign in Macon restored in new Neil’s Lofts mixed-use building, marking the area’s first new building in decades.
• Youth Sports Grants:
  • Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation to give $6.3 million to six metro Atlanta school districts for sports access and cost reduction.
  • Average family’s annual sports cost: $1,000 (Aspen Institute, 2024).
  • Quote:
    • “And a lot of these parents have to make a choice. Am I going to have my child play sports or am I going to put food on the table?… So we want to do our part in trying to help these kids play sport.” – Chris Millman, AMB Sports and Entertainment ([06:02])

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6. High School Football Spotlight

[06:16 – 07:14]

• Title Game: Thomas County Central defeats Gainesville 62–21 for the Class 5A championship.
• Star Player: Deuce Lawrence sets new state rushing record.
  • 39 carries, 380 yards, 5 touchdowns (60 yards above the previous record).
  • Quote:
    • “And of course, this will be remembered as the Deuce Lawrence game. 39 carries, 380 yards, blows away the state record by 60 yards and scores five touchdowns.” ([06:40])
• Team Legacy: Senior class exits with 2 state titles and a 53–3 record.

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7. Holiday Package Delivery Challenges

Interview with Chris Gaffney, Georgia Tech
[07:36 – 11:39]

• USPS & Carrier Outlook:
  • Holiday surge boosts demand 30–50% above normal.
  • On-time performance suffers—late deliveries up from ~5% to roughly 7.5%, matching last year’s difficulties.
  • Not all USPS facilities are automated, increasing dependency on manual labor.
  • Quote:
    • “Performance is about 50% worse than it would normally be… I think we're going to see about the same level of experience as prior years.” – Chris Gaffney ([08:05])
• Order Deadlines:
  • Time has likely run out for standard/free shipping to arrive by Christmas; expedited shipping (Amazon, UPS) is now recommended.
  • Tip: Choose expedited options if gifts must arrive by Christmas ([09:20]).
• Third-Party Delivery Surge:
  • Shippers like Amazon and UPS rely more on companies like Roadie, Uber, Lyft, and even their own gig networks during surge periods.
  • Quote:
    • “My own Uber driver told me they had the option of delivering packages to your and my home in this last week.” ([10:06])
• On Delays and Lost Shipments:
  • Less than 1% of packages are truly lost; most delays are one to three days, which matters most at the holidays.
  • Promise dates may not account for unique seasonal surges in hub locations.
  • Quote:
    • “Most cases the packages aren't lost ... the incremental delay is one to three days. And most of the year you're not going to sweat it ... but this time of year, one to three days really matters.” ([10:40])

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Memorable Quotes

• On Georgia Power’s prediction:
  “Only 1 in 500 simulations agreed with or exceeded their prediction and then everything else was lower than their prediction.”
  — Amy Sharma, Science for Georgia ([01:22])

• On the 2020 election phone call’s legacy:
  “I think when people have some distance from it, they're going to look at evidence like this phone call to come out and actually provide an accurate record of what happened.”
  — Andra Gillespie, Emory University ([02:36])

• On 911 system funding:
  “That generates somewhere on the order of a quarter billion a year.”
  — Rep. Chuck Martin ([04:11])

• On youth sports costs:
  “Am I going to have my child play sports or am I going to put food on the table?… So we want to do our part in trying to help these kids play sport.”
  — Chris Millman, AMB Sports and Entertainment ([06:02])

• On delivery delays:
  “Most cases the packages aren't lost ... the incremental delay is one to three days. And most of the year you're not going to sweat it ... but this time of year, one to three days really matters.”
  — Chris Gaffney, Georgia Tech ([10:40])

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Additional Segment Timestamps

• Georgia Power energy prediction analysis: [00:36 – 01:45]
• 2020 Trump-Ralston phone call context: [01:45 – 02:56]
• Georgia Access health care plans update: [02:56 – 03:54]
• NextGen911 modernization efforts: [03:54 – 04:42]
• Youth sports funding announcement: [04:42 – 06:16]
• High school football recap: [06:16 – 07:14]
• Holiday package delivery interview: [07:36 – 11:39]

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Tone and Feel

The tone is clear, informative, and focused on public interest. Orlando Montoya’s delivery is even-handed, with expert voices and field reports offering both data-driven insights and human stories. The show mixes policy, community news, and practical advice in a brisk, no-nonsense style.

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This summary provides a comprehensive look at the main news stories and practical takeaways from Georgia Today’s December 18, 2025 episode, reflecting the language and perspectives of the speakers.

Transcript

[A]

Hello and welcome to the Georgia Today Podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On today's episode, a new report casts doubt on Georgia Power's request to add more electrical generation capacity to power new data centers. Georgia is one of the states still behind on modernizing its 911 system and with a week to go before Christmas, should Georgians be worried about their packages arriving on time?

[B]

This is a five or six week surge period, so there are going to be facilities that struggle.

[A]

Today is Thursday, December 18th. I'm Orlando Montoya and this is Georgia Today. A new report is casting more doubt on Georgia Power's request for a data center driven increase in generation capacity. The State Public Service Commission is expected to decide on that request tomorrow. GPB's Grant Blankenship has more nonprofits Greenlink.

[C]

Analytics and Science for Georgia ran publicly available data center information through the type of modeling Georgia Power used to come up with its request for just under 10 gigawatts of new generation. Amy Sharma leads Science for Georgia. She says over hundreds of thousands of so called Monte Carlo simulations, the modeling.

[D]

Returned a 1 in 500 chance that.

[C]

Georgia Power's predictions were accurate.

[A]

Only 1 in 500 simulations agreed with or exceeded their prediction and then everything.

[D]

Else was lower than their prediction.

[C]

That rhymes with the analysis by PSC staff who testified that data center trends only justify about a third of Georgia Power's request. For GPB News, I'm Grant Blankenship in Macon.

[A]

The New York Times has released a recording of a 2020 phone call between President Donald Trump and then speaker of the Georgia house David Ralston. GPB's Sarah Kalis explains what the implications of the call might be five years later.

[D]

During the call, Trump asked Raulston to call a special legislative session to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

[E]

All we need is either of the two, frankly. But the better is the special session because if you agree with us, you can vote the state as a victory for us.

[D]

Emory University political science professor Andra Gillespie says that while the phone call isn't likely to have any immediate political implications, it does indicate Trump pressured Georgia officials in 2020. I think when people have some distance from it, they're going to look at evidence like this phone call to come out and actually provide an accurate record of what happened. A Georgia legal case accusing Trump and 18 others of conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 election was dropped last month. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kallas.

[A]

Georgians seeking a marketplace health care plan that starts in January had until Monday, December 15, to sign up for one through Georgia Access, the state's exchange. As of Monday, State officials say 111,000 people had newly enrolled in a Georgia Access plan. That's less than half of new enrollees reported last year. 444,000 people have so far kept their Georgia Access plan into next year, even as some monthly premiums have more than doubled due to the expected expiration of federally funded enhanced premium tax credits. Georgia is one of a handful of states that have not yet modernized its analog 911 system to what's called next generation 911. The updates promise to improve emergency response times and standardize called data. GPB's Sophie Gratis has more on state lawmakers first steps to adopt the changes.

[F]

Georgia Representative Chuck Martin chaired a special study committee this fall on funding for NextGen911. In their report this week are several recommendations. One is that the state should be able to pay for the updates without raising the $1.50 monthly fee added to telephone bills to pay for 911.

[E]

That generates somewhere on the order of a quarter billion billion a year.

[F]

That's a lot of money, martin says. It's still too early to estimate the total cost of modernizing the system. Other states have spent tens of millions of dollars, but that updates will result in savings. Counties and cities will face their own costs. Lawmakers plan to work with them this legislative session on drafting a constitutional amendment on next gen 911 spending that would then go to voters. For GPB news, I'm Sophie Gratas.

[A]

The president of Delta Air Lines plans to retire at the end of February. The Atlanta based carrier yesterday credited President Glenn Houston with transforming Delta's global network pricing and premium strategy over two decades at Delta and nearly a decade as president. The company did not name a new president. The skyline of downtown Macon got a new addition yesterday. The century old Joseph Neil's department Store sign was lit up again now as the centerpiece of a brand new mixed use development, Neil's Lofts, the 95 unit complex is described as the first brand new building constructed in downtown Macon in decades. The Arthur M. Blank Family foundation said yesterday it's giving grants to six metro Atlanta school districts to increase access to sports. The foundation says $6.3 million will go toward things like launching girls flag football programs and alleviating the cost to participate in sports in 2024. Families spent an average of $1,000 on their child's primary sport in 2024, according to the Aspen Institute Chris Millman is with AMB Sports and Entertainment, a blank family business. He spoke with GPB Sports last night.

[E]

And a lot of these parents have to make a choice. Am I going to have my child play sports or am I going to put food on the table? And ultimately, you can probably guess what most parents are choosing to do. So we want to do our part in trying to help these kids play sport.

[A]

Grants will go to public schools in Clayton, DeKalb, Fulton, Griffin, Spalding, Gwinnett and Rockdale. Count. The Georgia high school football championships ended last night with Thomas County Central dominating Gainesville 6221 to win the Class 5A title at Atlanta's Mercedes Benz Stadium. Senior running back Deuce Lawrence powered the win.

[E]

And of course, this will be remembered as the Deuce Lawrence game. 39 carries 380 yards, blows away the state record by 60 yards and scores five touchdowns. And here they are.

[A]

The victory caps a historic run for Thomas County Central, whose senior class leaves with two state titles and a 533 record, the winningest class in program history.

[D]

How does AI even work? Where does creativity come from? What's the secret to living longer? TED Radio Hour explores the biggest questions with some of the world's greatest thinkers. They will surprise, challenge and even change you. Listen to NPR's Ted Radio Hour wherever you get your podcasts.

[A]

We're a week out from Christmas, and many of you might have packages out for delivery right now. Will they arrive on time? Especially with widely reported US Postal Service delays and service failures in Georgia in 2024, we inv invited Chris Gaffney, managing director of the Supply Chain and Logistics Institute at Georgia Tech, to talk about holiday package delivery. He spoke with me yesterday. I asked him if consumers still should be concerned about USPS problems in Georgia.

[B]

This is a season where I think the consumer is still going to experience some level of disappointment relative to what they see in the rest of the year. Right? I mean, the majority of the facilities that USPS have, has are not fully automated yet, so they're still dependent on people. And this time of year, demand is typically up 30 to 50% over what you would normally have. And the performance is about 50% worse than it would normally be. You know, on an average, you know, time of the year, 5% of shipments don't get where they're supposed to be on time. And this year, you know, it's, it's 50% more than that. So I think we're going to see about the same level of experience as prior years. I have my own anecdotes for friends and family. You know, overall E Com volume, you know, for home delivery is up 5% this year. And you know, you try to surge, this is a five or six week surge period. So there are going to be facilities that struggle. I haven't heard huge issues locally this year like we did last year.

[A]

You mentioned anecdotes and this interview will air on Thursday. Is that too late to get shipments on time for the following Thursday?

[B]

I think for the majority of companies you buy from, free shipping by Christmas is probably no longer an option. I think you're going to need to look for an expedited option. And in all honesty, I would like to folks to make sure they're getting either Amazon or UPS to do that delivery to have the best shot of getting there by Christmas.

[A]

Let's talk about Amazon and ups. We're hearing reports, people in our own newsroom seeing that they're getting packages delivered to their homes by people that are not identified as Amazon or ups. They're just showing up in regular cars, not uniformed Amazon or ups.

[D]

It's.

[A]

Is this something that these big shippers do around the holidays typically to help with the surge?

[B]

They all use it in some respects during the year with companies like Roadie as well as Uber and Lyft. But it is all hands on deck these last couple of weeks. My own Uber driver told me they had the option of delivering packages to your and my home in this last week. And I think this is another effort by all the providers to use whatever resources are available to handle this unprecedented surge that we get in this final week. That might be 70% greater volume than we would see during a normal week in the year.

[A]

How often do shipments get lost or delayed?

[B]

You know what we would say is most cases the packages aren't lost. I mean, literally the packages that never make it are less than 1% and the incremental delay is one to three days. And most of the year you're not going to sweat it if something's one to three days late. But this time of year, one to three days really matters. And I think what we would say is there's science involved in setting those promise dates, but the science is mostly assuming what goes on. Normally it is not factoring in these peak challenges that may occur in a hub location. So that's probably the only other point that I think is upsetting my family members. They're. This was supposed to come on Thursday and it's not here. And it's either, it's not clear when it's showing up. That's where people are uncomfortable that I'm not going to be able to get my cousins or my nephew's gift to them on time.

[A]

That's Chris Gaffney, managing director of the Supply Chain and Logistics Institute at Georgia Tech. Thanks for speaking with me.

[B]

All right. Thanks so much and happy holidays.

[A]

And that's it for today's edition of Georgia Today. We encourage you to visit gpb.org news if you want to get the latest news from the GPB newsroom. We always encourage you to hit subscribe on this podcast as well. That's something that you can do that's very easy. It only takes a few seconds. And it helps you stay current with us in your feed, send us feedback. We'd love to hear from you at Georgia Today. At gpb.org I'm Orlando Montoya. I'll talk to you again tomorrow.