Georgia Natural Gas Market 2026: Commercial Deregulation and AGLC Supply Strategies
Commercial facilities in Georgia\'s deregulated natural gas market face rising Henry Hub spot prices in 2026. Operating within the Atlanta Gas Light (AGLC) territory, businesses must actively manage their marketer contracts to avoid default variable rates. Based on EIA projections and forward curves, C&I customers failing to secure fixed-rate supply could experience a 12% to 18% premium during peak winter pricing periods.
Executive Impact
- →Mandatory Choice: Unlike many states where deregulation is optional, businesses in the AGLC territory must choose a competitive marketer or face utility-assigned default pricing, which is historically volatile.
- →Dedicated Capacity Costs (DDDC): AGLC assigns a Dedicated Design Day Capacity (DDDC) factor to commercial meters annually, directly influencing the fixed transportation portion of the bill regardless of the marketer chosen.
- →Timing is Critical: Given EIA projections estimating Henry Hub rising to $4.01/MMBtu later in the year, locking in multi-year fixed contracts during the Q1/Q2 "shoulder months" provides essential budget certainty.
Understanding the Atlanta Gas Light (AGLC) Territory
Georgia represents one of the oldest and most established deregulated natural gas markets in the country. Since the Natural Gas Competition and Deregulation Act of 1997, the state\'s primary natural gas distribution company, Atlanta Gas Light (AGLC), stopped selling natural gas directly to consumers.
Today, AGLC simply maintains the physical pipeline infrastructure and reads the meters. Commercial buyers must purchase the actual natural gas (the commodity) from one of the many certified marketers operating within the "Atlanta Pool."
Anatomy of a Georgia Commercial Gas Bill
When evaluating energy costs in 2026, it is crucial for commercial facility managers to isolate the regulated delivery charges from the competitive supply charges.
| Bill Component | Provider | Negotiable? |
|---|---|---|
| AGLC Base Charge (Delivery) | Atlanta Gas Light | No (Regulated) |
| Gas Commodity Supply Rate | Competitive Marketer | Yes (Highly) |
| Marketer Customer Service Fee | Competitive Marketer | Yes |
Note: The AGLC Base Charge is heavily influenced by a facility\'s Dedicated Design Day Capacity (DDDC) factor, which AGLC recalculates annually based on the facility\'s previous peak winter usage.
Strategic Outlook for 2026 Contracts
Because Georgia marketers pass through bulk wholesale costs, local commercial supply rates are heavily indexed to the NYMEX Henry Hub. For 2026, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) has forecast increased nationwide consumption, largely driven by LNG export growth along the nearby Gulf Coast and persistent gas-fired power generation demand.
With Henry Hub futures projecting upward slopes through Q3 and Q4 2026, commercial buyers currently on month-to-month variable rates are exposed to significant price oscillation. The most effective cost-containment strategy for properties under the AGLC footprint is to benchmark offerings from top-tier commercial marketers and lock in multi-year fixed rates during low-demand shoulder months.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (eia.gov), Georgia Public Service Commission.
Compare Georgia Commercial Gas Suppliers
Are you paying too much for your AGLC marketer supply? Compare local fixed-rate options for your commercial facility.