ATLANTA — Several groups are urging the Georgia Public Service Commission to reconsider Georgia Power’s plan to expand service for data centers when commissioners convene Wednesday. The plan was approved back in December.

The Southern Environmental Law Center and other groups are asking the PSC to revisit the decision. Senior Attorney Jennifer Whitfield says while there is agreement that growth is happening, the question is about the size of the expansion.

“We’re definitely growing, data centers are coming to Georgia, we are going to need to build more energy resources,” Whitfield said.

The plan approved by the PSC calls for 10 new gigawatts of power. Whitfield says that is “the equivalent of about 5 Hoover Dams and it’s just an extraordinary amount of power to serve the growing need in our state.”

She says there are concerns about who would bear the cost if projected data center growth does not materialize.

“And we’re really concerned about who’s going to have to pay for that, if all these dreams about data centers coming don’t materialize,” Whitfield said.

Whitfield also questioned whether the state needs that much additional capacity at this time.

“I mean essentially what we’re looking at is nearly doubling our energy grid,” she said. “Consider whether this is really in the public’s interest, not to grow the system generally that we agree all needs to happen right now, but to grow it by this amount at this time.”

Georgia Power says it does not believe the plan approved in December needs to be reconsidered. The company says the approved expansion provides the energy it needs and includes savings of more than $100 a year for the average residential customer.

Two new commissioners have joined the PSC since the plan was approved. The expansion plan is expected to be challenged by several groups at the commission’s meeting.

WSB Radio’s Jennifer Perry contributed to this story.