ATLANTA (AP) - Two utility companies building a nuclear power plant in Georgia will not pay a fee to obtain government-subsidized loans.
Letters from the U.S. Department of Energy show that Southern Co. subsidiary Georgia Power and Oglethorpe Power Co. will not pay a credit subsidy fee to get roughly $6.5 billion in lending. Those firms and others are building two new reactors at Plant Vogtle (VOH'-gohl).
The U.S. government earlier approved the loans in an attempt to encourage development in the nuclear power industry. In 2009, federal officials wanted to charge Georgia Power a fee of $17 million to $52 million.
DOE officials say the charges are based on a standard methodology that reflects the size of the companies involved.
The fees were first reported by Greenwire.
