Georgia

Georgia Tech Adds Three to Defensive Staff

Published

2 years ago

January 13, 2024

Georgia Tech Adds Three to Defensive Staff

THE FLATS – Highlighted by new defensive coordinator Tyler Santucci, Georgia Tech football has officially added three assistant coaches to the defensive side of the ball, head coach Brent Key announced on Saturday. In addition to Santucci, who will coach the Yellow Jackets’ linebackers, the new defensive assistants include outside linebackers/edge coach Kyle Pope and defensive line coach Jess Simpson.

“We’re really excited to welcome Tyler, Kyle and Jess to our staff and the Georgia Tech family,” Key said. “A lot of time and consideration was put into these hires because we were committed to finding the right fits for Georgia Tech football and our student-athletes. These three outstanding coaches fit the makeup of our staff as great teachers and recruiters with championship pedigree, and I’m looking forward to them working with our student-athletes.”

After successful stints as defensive coordinator at Atlantic Coast Conference rival Duke and co-defensive coordinator at Texas A&M, Tyler Santucci joins Georgia Tech’s staff as defensive coordinator/linebackers coach.

In one season at Duke (2023), Santucci directed the ACC’s top-ranked scoring defense, allowing just 19.0 points per game, which was good for 16^th nationally. The Blue Devils also ranked among the nation’s top 50 in rushing defense, passing defense, total defense, tackles for loss, third-down defense, fourth-down defense and red-zone defense. Duke allowed a total of just 10 points in a pair of wins over teams that finished the season in the top 25 – No. 20 Clemson (28-7) and No. 21 NC State (24-3) – and finished 8-5 overall after a 17-10 win over Troy in the 2023 Birmingham Bowl.

For his role in directing the ACC’s top scoring defense, Santucci was a nominee for the 2023 Broyles Award, which honors college football’s top assistant coach.

Prior to his lone season at Duke, Santucci spent three seasons at Texas A&M (2020-22), serving as linebackers coach for all three seasons and as co-defensive coordinator in his final campaign with the Aggies in 2022. As co-defensive coordinator, where he direct the nation’s No. 1 pass defense (156.2 ypg) and a top 25 scoring defense (20.7 ppg). The Aggies also ranked among the top 10 nationally in red-zone defense and top 20 in interceptions and pass efficiency defense with Santucci as co-DC. In his three seasons at A&M, the Aggies won 22 games, including nine during the Covid-19-shortened 2020 campaign, when they finished 9-1 overall and ranked No. 4 in the nation.

In addition to the last four seasons at Duke and Texas A&M, Santucci has also coached linebackers at Wake Forest (2019) and Texas State (2016). His experience also includes two seasons as a defensive analyst at Notre Dame (2017) and A&M (2018), two seasons as a graduate assistant at Wake (2014-15) and four seasons on the staff at his alma mater, Stony Brook, first as a graduate assistant (2010-11), then as the Seawolves’ safeties (2012) and defensive line (2013) coach.

In all, he’s helped lead teams to bowl games in six of the last seven seasons.

Santucci was a standout linebacker at Stony Brook from 2006-09, finishing his playing career with 284 tackles, 30.5 tackles for loss and five interceptions. He was an all-Big South Conference selection as a junior (second team) and senior (first team), and was named Big South Defensive Player of the Year and second-team Associated Press NCAA Division I FCS all-America as a senior in 2009. In 2013, he was named to the Big South’s first all-decade team. He graduated from Stony Brook with a bachelor’s degree in sociology in 2010.

Santucci and his wife, Arielle, have a daughter, Liana.

THE SANTUCCI FILE
Personal
Hometown: New Kensington, Pa.
Family: Wife – Arielle; Child – Liana
Alma Mater: Stony Brook, 2010

Playing Experience
2006-10: Stony Brook (LB)

Coaching Experience
2010-11: Stony Brook (Graduate Assistant)
2012: Stony Brook (Safeties)
2013: Stony Brook (Defensive Line)
2014-15: Wake Forest (Graduate Assistant)
2016: Texas State (Linebackers)
2017: Notre Dame (Defensive Analyst)
2018: Texas A&M (Defensive Analyst)
2019: Wake Forest (Linebackers)
2020-21: Texas A&M (Linebackers)
2022: Texas A&M (Co-Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers)
2023: Duke (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers)
2024: Georgia Tech (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers)

Kyle Pope, who has helped his teams earn seven-straight bowl berths, comes to Georgia Tech as outside linebackers/edge coach.

Pope spent the past four seasons (2020-23) as defensive line coach at Memphis, which included being elevated to defensive run game coordinator in his final season with the Tigers. In his four seasons at Memphis, the Tigers earned four bowl berths and won all three of their postseason games that were played (2020 Montgomery Bowl, 2022 First Responder Bowl and 2023 Liberty Bowl – the 2021 Hawai’i Bowl was canceled due to Covid-19).

In 2023, Pope helped lead the Tigers to an impressive 10-3 campaign, capped by a Liberty Bowl victory over Iowa State. He coached second-team all-American Athletic Conference defensive lineman Jaylon Allen and helped direct a unit ranked among the top 25 nationally in third- and fourth-down conversion defense.

In addition to helping Memphis go undefeated in bowl games, Pope coached a total of four defensive linemen that earned all-AAC recognition, highlighted by Allen, who was an honorable mention in 2022 before earning second-team honors in ’23, and O’Bryan Goodson, who was a first-team selection in 2020.

Prior to his four-year stint at Memphis, Pope was the linebackers coach at Liberty in 2019, helping the Flames go 8-5 and win the Cure Bowl in their first full-fledged season at the NCAA Division I FBS level. In its 23-16 Cure Bowl win, Liberty limited Georgia Southern, which entered the game in the top 10 nationally in rushing offense, to just 154 yards on the ground, more than 100 yards below the Eagles’ season average.

Pope was a graduate assistant at Alabama in 2017 and 2018, where he was on the same staff as Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key. In his two seasons at Alabama, the Crimson Tide went 27-2, made back-to-back College Football Playoff championship game appearances and won the 2017 national title. With the Crimson Tide, he coached nine defensive linemen that have gone on to play in the National Football League, including Pro Bowlers Daron Payne and Quinnen Williams.

He began his coaching career with one-season stints coaching the defensive line at Holmes (Miss.) Community College (2015) and Presbyterian (2016). He coached a first-team all-state honoree (Josiah Coatney) at Holmes C.C. and a pair of second-team all-Big South selections (Khari Rosier and Obinna Ntiasagwe) at Presbyterian. He also had a training camp coaching internship with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2023, working with the Chargers’ outside linebackers, a group that included six-time All-Pro Khalil Mack and four-time Pro Bowler Joey Bosa.

Pope played linebacker at Jacksonville State (2010-14), where he helped lead the Gamecocks to two Ohio Valley Conference championships and back-to-back NCAA Division I FCS playoff appearances (2013 quarterfinals, 2014 second round).

He holds degrees from Jacksonville State (B.S. – 2015) and Alabama (M.S. – 2019).

THE POPE FILE
Personal
Hometown: Sylacauga, Ala.
Alma Mater: Jacksonville State (B.S. – 2015), Alabama (M.S. – 2019)

Playing Experience
2011-14: Jacksonville State (LB)

Coaching Experience
2015: Holmes (Miss.) Community College (Defensive Line)
2016: Presbyterian (Defensive Line)
2017-18: Alabama (Graduate Assistant)
2019: Liberty (Inside Linebackers)
2020-22: Memphis (Defensive Line)
2023: Los Angeles Chargers (Training Camp Coaching Intern)
2023: Memphis (Defensive Run Game Coordinator/Defensive Line)
2024: Georgia Tech (Outside Linebackers/Edge)

Jess Simpson, a metro Atlanta native with more than 30 years of coaching experience at the high school, college and National Football League levels, joins Georgia Tech’s staff as defensive line coach.

Most recently before his arrival on The Flats, Simpson spent two seasons at Atlantic Coast Conference rival Duke, where he coached the defensive line, while also serving as co-defensive coordinator in 2022 and associate head coach for defense in 2023.

In his two seasons at Duke, Simpson directed a staunch defensive front that helped lead the Blue Devils to 17 wins (just one shy of the program’s combined win total from the four seasons prior to his arrival), including victories in the 2022 Military Bowl and 2023 Birmingham Bowl.

Working alongside current Georgia Tech defensive coordinator Tyler Santucci in 2023, Simpson’s defensive front played a big role in Duke fielding the ACC’s top-ranked scoring defense (19.0 points per game), which was good for 16^th nationally. The Blue Devils also ranked among the nation’s top 50 in rushing defense, passing defense, total defense, tackles for loss, third-down defense, fourth-down defense and red-zone defense in ’23.

In 2022, the Blue Devils’ defensive front helped Duke rank first nationally in fumble recoveries (16), second in turnover margin (+1.23/game), ninth in takeaways (26) and 23^rd in sacks (2.8/game), while also allowing just 121.1 rushing yards per game, good for fourth in the ACC.

Under Simpson’s tutelage, Duke defensive tackle DeWayne Carter earned all-America and all-ACC honors in both 2022 and 2023, while DT Aeneas Peebles also earned all-conference recognition.

Simpson’s ACC coaching experience also includes two seasons as assistant head coach and defensive line coach at Miami (Fla.) – 2018 and 2021. In his first season at Miami, the Hurricanes led the country in tackles for loss, third-down defense and passing defense, while ranking No. 4 in total defense. In ’21, Miami ranked eighth nationally in TFL and in the top 50 in sacks, rushing defense, third-down defense and fourth-down defense. His pupils included all-America defensive tackle Gerald Willis III in 2018.

Simpson also has three seasons of NFL coaching experience with the Atlanta Falcons, beginning as a defensive assistant in 2017, followed by two seasons as the Falcons’ defensive line coach (2019-20). Most notably, Simpson coached All-Pro defensive lineman Grady Jarrett, who compiled 176 tackles, 15.5 sacks, 35 TFL and 50 quarterback hits and earned back-to-back Pro Bowl invitations (2019-20) during Simpson’s three seasons on the Falcons’ staff.

Prior to moving to the NFL in 2017, Simpson was one of the most successful coaches in Georgia high school football history, compiling a 164-12 (.932) record, winning seven state championships and appearing in 10-straight state title games in 12 seasons as the head coach at Buford H.S. (2005-16). In total, he spent 21 years (1995-96, 1998-2016) at Buford, helped lead the Wolves to 10 state titles as a head coach and coordinator. Buford set the state’s all-time record with a 47-game winning streak from 2001-04, with Simpson serving as the Wolves’ defensive coordinator.

His high school coaching career also included one season as the head coach at East Paulding H.S. (1997) and one season as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Marietta H.S.

Simpson played tight end collegiately at Auburn. He was a member of the Tigers’ Southeastern Conference championship team in 1989 and earned letters in 1990 and ’91, helping lead Auburn to 1990 Hall of Fame Bowl and 1991 Peach Bowl berths. He then began his coaching career as a student assistant with the Tigers in 1992 and ’93. He graduated from Auburn in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing education, before going on to earn master’s degrees in education from North Georgia (2002) and educational leadership and administration from Alabama (2005).

He is married to the former Tricia Collins of Powder Springs, Ga. The couple has four children – Luke (wife: Dana), Roman, Jake and Emma, and a granddaughter, Melda Ruth. Roman played football at Army West point and is first lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Jake played football at Wake Forest.

THE SIMPSON FILE
Personal
Hometown: Marietta, Ga.
Family: Wife – Tricia; Children – Luke (wife: Dana), Roman, Jake and Emma; Grandchild – Melda Ruth
Alma Mater: Auburn (bachelor’s – 1993), North Georgia (master’s – 2002), Alabama (educational leadership and administration – 2005)

Experience
1989-91: Auburn (TE)

Coaching Experience
1992-93: Auburn (Student Assistant)
1994: Marietta (Ga.) H.S. (Assistant Coach)
1995-96: Buford (Ga.) H.S. (Offensive Coordinator)
1997: East Paulding (Ga.) H.S. (Head Coach)
1998: Buford H.S. (Offensive Coordinator/Strength and Speed Coordinator)
1999-2004: Buford H.S. (Defensive Coordinator/Strength and Speed Coordinator)
2005-16: Buford H.S. (Head Coach)
2017: Atlanta Falcons (Defensive Assistant)
2018: Miami (Fla.) (Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Line)
2019-20: Atlanta Falcons (Defensive Line)
2021: Miami (Fla.) (Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Line)
2022: Duke (Co-Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Line)
2023: Duke (Associate Head Coach/Defensive Line)
2024: Georgia Tech (Defensive Line)

Alexander-Tharpe Fund

The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of the development of Yellow Jackets that thrive academically at the Institute and compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes. To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.

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Georgia

Top 10 performers from Georgia high school football state championships

Published

4 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Press Room

Top 10 performers from Georgia high school football state championships

AJC Varsity

Stars like Deuce Lawrence and Tyriq Green standout in a week of big plays and historic performances.

Thomas County Central running back Deuce Lawrence (right) celebrates with offensive lineman Zion Garlington after Lawrence scored during the first half of their Class 5A championship game on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. (Daniel Varnado for the AJC)

Standout players weren’t hard to find all week at the Georgia High School Association football state championships at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Four University of Georgia signees battled for a de facto national championship, a Wake Forest signee broke a GHSA rushing record and several other impact players made their case for more scholarship offers in a star-studded week.

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Cayden Benson, QB, Creekside

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Kobe Carnage, DB, Thomas County Central

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JaMarcus Davis, DB, Carver-Columbus

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Kelby Glaze, RB, Lincoln County

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Tyriq Green, RB/DB, Buford

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Zykie Helton, OL/DL, Carrollton

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Caleb Hill, QB, Sandy Creek

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Josh Hopkins, QB, Bowdon

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Christian “Deuce” Lawrence, RB, Thomas County Central

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Jarvis Mathurin, RB/DB, Hebron Christian

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Jack Leo is a sports writer and reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Jack worked for the AJC throughout his four years studying journalism and sports media at Georgia State University and the University of Georgia. He’s now focused on telling stories in the grassroots: bringing comprehensive coverage of high school sports for AJC Varsity.

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Georgia football early enrollees hope ‘to get the call’ for bowl practices

Published

16 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Press Room

Georgia football early enrollees hope ‘to get the call’ for bowl practices

This Sentell’s Intel rep on Georgia football recruiting details how the Bulldogs will tweak the use of its early enrollees in Sugar Bowl practices this month.

College football has made roster management much more complicated these days. The latest is Georgia football’s annual December tradition of bringing in a horde of its latest signees for bowl practices.

That now intersects with the new 105-man roster management landscape, among other things.

While it seems like almost all of Georgia’s 29 signees will be early enrollees in January, there won’t be quite that many in Athens for Sugar Bowl practices. DawgNation has confirmed that several members of the 2026 class are expected to practice with the Dawgs for the first time on Saturday.

While the entire class of 2026 can ball, not all of them will get the call.

Bowdon High School’s Kaiden Prothro, who has been ranked by Rivals as a 5-star, shared a little bit about what that now looks like earlier this week. When asked about his short-term plans after his Red Devils won their fourth straight state title, Prothro said he wasn’t sure.

“I’m planning on enrolling early and then hopefully going for some bowl practices,” Prothro said. “If I can make it in time.”

Prothro would normally be a given, considering his elite size, frame, and skill set. But he wasn’t sure about that earlier this week.

“I have no idea,” Prothro said. “It is kind of weird. They have got to call you up or whatever. A spot has got to open up.”

If he got the call, Prothro said he would take advantage of those extra early reps.

“Just practicing with them would just be amazing at the next level,” he said. “Great coaching and [tight ends] coach [Todd] Hartley is a great coach. Coach [Kirby] Smart is going to coach you hard, but you are going to get better in practice. So obviously, I just want to get better and just see what my next step is.”

Georgia signed a pair of Carrollton Trojan seniors in this class. Both confirmed they would move to Athens today and practice with the SEC Champions on Saturday.

“I am one of those guys that got called up,” 3-star IOL Zykie Helton said after the 6A state title game. “I will be in Athens on Friday.”

“I’ll be there Friday,” Mosley said. “Going up there early. Getting experience. Learning the playbook so I’ll be set by the time [next] fall comes around.”

The 4-star WR walked out of the Carrollton locker room for the last time at 1 a.m. on Wednesday. He graduated and had his last day of high school on Thursday, and will be practicing with a program on Saturday that is hunting its third national title this decade.

“That’s what you want,” Mosley said. “Being an athlete, a turnaround like that comes with it. I just want the Georgia fans to know that they are getting a beast. They are getting a real beast.”

Buford ATH Tyriq Green told DawgNation he planned to practice in Athens on Saturday, too. He was quite excited to go from winning a Georgia state championship and a national high school title to strapping it up for a UGA practice this weekend.

Green said this might just be the best week of his life.

“I think so,” he said. “Last week of school. About to graduate, so everything is good.”

Graham Houston, his Buford High teammate, also signed with UGA. He’s the third-highest-rated OL in this UGA class, but he plans to move to Athens next month.

“I believe I am going on January 8th,” he said after the state title game.

Houston knew Green would be going up early. The AJC Super 11 selection has been an impact running back, safety and kick returner during his Buford career. “Ty Boogie” was also named MVP of the state title game after his 184 rushing yards and two scores on just 11 carries.

If there’s one thing to look for in terms of who gets the call with limited slots available, it will be elite talents like Green. Especially at a position like safety, where Georgia is banged up and could use more talented practice bodies.

“He could play any day,” Houston said while laughing. “He might play this year.”

While Green could likely help the Dawgs in some capacity at The Sugar Bowl, he’s not able to suit up for the game under NCAA rules. That hasn’t changed from the annual postseason protocol. DawgNation should not expect to see 20 or more of the new signees wearing a UGA jersey over athleisure attire on the sidelines at the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day this time.

DawgNation has been able to confirm that 5-star OT Ekene Ogboko will also be up for early bowl practices, but won’t make it until Christmas Day. 4-star Maryland LB Nick Abrams II is also expected to practice with the Dawgs on Saturday, among others.

Twitchy DL Valdin Sone, a 5-star prospect for 247Sports, was also set to be moving to Athens today for bowl practices this weekend.

The Intel this week suggests that 4-star RB Jae Lamar and 4-star WR Craig Dandridge could also be in Athens this weekend for bowl practices. Prothro is another strong candidate to join the team this month, too.

Have you subscribed to the DawgNation YouTube channel yet? If so, you will see special 1-on-1 content with key 2026 signees like Ty Green, Zykie Helton, Tyreek Jemison, Lincoln Keyes and Kaiden Prothro.

Have you seen this week’s “Before the Hedges” weekly recruiting special on YouTube yet? Check it out below.

SENTELL’S INTEL

(Check on the recent reads on Georgia football recruiting)

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Georgia regulators approve huge electric generation increase for data centers

Published

1 day ago

December 19, 2025

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Georgia regulators approve huge electric generation increase for data centers

ATLANTA — Georgia’s only private electric utility plans to increase power capacity by 50% after state regulators on Friday agreed 5-0 that the plan is needed to meet projected demand from data centers.

It would be one of the biggest build-outs in the U.S. to meet the insatiable electricity demand from developers of artificial intelligence. The construction cost would be $16.3 billion, but staff members say customers will pay $50 billion to $60 billion over coming decades, including interest costs and guaranteed profit for the monopoly utility.

Georgia Power Co. and the Public Service Commission pledge large users will more than pay for their costs, and that spreading fixed costs over more customers, could help significantly cut residents’ power bills beginning in 2029.

“Large energy users are paying more so families and small businesses can pay less, and that’s a great result for Georgians,” Georgia Power CEO Kim Greene said in a statement after the vote.

But opponents say the five elected Republicans on the commission are greenlighting a risky bet by the utility to chase data center customers with existing ratepayers left holding the bag if demand doesn’t materialize.

“The need for 10,000 megawatts of new capacity resources on the system in the next six years isn’t here,” said Bob Sherrier, a lawyer representing some opponents. “It just isn’t, and it may never be.”

The approval came less than two months after voters rebuked GOP leadership, ousting two incumbent Republicans on the commission in favor of Democrats by overwhelming margins. Those two Democrats won in campaigns that centered on six Georgia Power rate increases commissioners have allowed in recent years, even though the company agreed to a three-year rate freeze in July.

Protestors are escorted out of a Georgia Public Service Commission meeting on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025 in Atlanta. Credit: AP/Jeff Amy

Peter Hubbard and Alicia Johnson — the Democrats who will take office Jan. 1 — opposed Friday’s vote. But current commissioners refused to delay.

Electric bills have emerged as a potent political issue in Georgia and nationwide, with grassroots opposition to data centers partly based on fears that other customers will subsidize power demands of technology behemoths.

Georgia Power is the largest unit of Atlanta-based Southern Co. It says it needs 10,000 megawatts of new capacity — enough to power 4 million Georgia homes — with 80% of that flowing to data centers. The company has 2.7 million customers today, including homes, businesses and industries.

Whether the company’s projections of a huge increase in demand will pan out has been the central argument. Georgia Power and commission staff agreed Dec. 9 to allow the company to build or acquire all the desired capacity, despite staff earlier saying the company’s forecast included too much speculative construction.

Members of the Georgia Public Service Commission listen to testimony... — Members of the Georgia Public Service Commission listen to testimony on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025 in Atlanta. Credit: AP/Jeff Amy

In return, the company agreed that after the current rate freeze ends in 2028, it would use revenue from new customers to place “downward pressure” on rates through 2031. That would amount to at least $8.50 a month, or $102 a year, for a typical residential customer. That customer currently pays more than $175 a month, including taxes.

“So we’re taking advantage of the upsides from this additional revenue, but allow it to shift the downside and the risk over to the company. And I’m real proud of that,” Commission Chairman Jason Shaw said after the vote.

But “downward pressure” doesn’t guarantee a rate decrease.

“It doesn’t mean your bills are going down,” said Liz Coyle, executive director of consumer group Georgia Watch. “It means that maybe they’re not going up as fast.”

Existing customers would pay for part of the construction program that doesn’t serve data centers. More importantly, opponents fear Georgia Power’s pledge of rate relief can’t be enforced, or won’t hold up over the 40-plus years needed to pay off new natural-gas fired power plants.

In a Monday news conference, Hubbard likened it to a mortgage “to build a massive addition to your home for a new roommate, big tech.”

“If in 10 years, the AI bubble bursts or the data centers move to a cheaper state, then the roommate moves out, but the mortgage doesn’t go away,” he said.

Staff members say the commission must watch demand closely and that if data centers don’t use as much power as projected, Georgia Power must drop agreements to purchase wholesale power, close its least efficient generating plants and seek additional customers.

Many opponents oppose any new generation fueled by natural gas, warning carbon emissions will worsen climate change. Some opponents were escorted out of the commission meeting by police after they began chanting “Nay! Nay! Nay! The people say nay!”

“Increased natural gas output for the sake of these silicon billionaire kings seems like a lose-lose,” opponent Zak Norton told commissioners Friday.

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