Increase in Power Use 

Since the formation of Oglethorpe Power Corporation (OPC) in 1974, the corporation’s Member Systems have experienced nearly continuous growth in their need for power. In 1975, the Members had a combined peak demand for power of 1,361 megawatts (MW).  By 2009, though down from the two previous years because of economic conditions and mild weather, that number had risen to 8,740MW — a more than six-fold increase. 
    In terms of energy use, the Member Systems required 36,793,085 megawatt-hours (MWh) of electric energy in 2009, slightly lower than the previous year. Of the total, Oglethorpe Power supplied 20,191,657 MWh of the energy the Member Systems required in 2009, or about 55 percent.  The EMCs secure the remainder of their power needs from various other power providers.
    Currently, Oglethorpe Power owns interests in 29 individual generating units representing 5,790 MW of generating capacity (based on Summer Rating Reserve Capacity for 2010). These generating resources include coal-fired capacity, gas-fired capacity, nuclear-fueled capacity, pumped storage hydroelectric capacity, and oil-fired  capacity.