BURKE COUNTY, Ga. — Georgia Power marked a milestone in the expansion of Plant Vogtle on Monday, announcing that the nuclear plant's fourth unit had entered commercial operation.
The long-running expansion project for the nuclear power plant has brought into operation two reactors, Unit 3 and Unit 4 -- the first new American reactors built from scratch in decades.
Georgia Power touted Plant Vogtle in a release as what is now "the largest generator of clean energy in the nation, expected to produce more than 30 million megawatt hours of electricity each year."
It’s an exciting time to be a Georgian as our state continues to grow and thrive, with new demand for more clean energy each year. The new Vogtle units are a key piece of our strategy to meet the energy needs of our customers not only tomorrow, but 20 years from now,” Kim Greene, chairman, president and CEO of Georgia Power, said in a statement.
Gov. Brian Kemp wrote on X that, "All of Georgia is proud of this incredible milestone. We're thankful for this historic achievement by @GeorgiaPower and its partners."
The expansion saw cost increases and delayed timelines -- according to an Associated Press accounting, the total cost comes in around $35 billion after it was originally projected for $14 billion and a 2017 completion date.
That has contributed to rate increases approved by state regulators, according to the AP, including a $5.42 per month increase approved after the completion of Unit 3 last year and a projected $8.95 per month increase approved in December.
The high construction costs have wiped out any future benefit from low nuclear fuel costs in the future, experts have repeatedly testified before commissioners.
“The cost increases and schedule delays have completely eliminated any benefit on a life-cycle cost basis,” Tom Newsome, director of utility finance for the commission, testified last year in a Georgia Public Service Commission hearing examining spending.
Nonetheless the project's backers have defended it as a landmark infrastructure achievement. The Georgia Public Service Commission, the regulatory board that oversees Georgia Power and, was thanked in Georgia Power CEO Greene's statement for its "leadership and foresight" to bring the project to fruition.
“Working with our partners across government, industry, labor and beyond, we have added new nuclear generation to the diverse energy resources that enhance the reliability, resiliency and affordability of our system as we work to achieve our goal to be net zero by 2050," Chris Womack, the president and CEO of Southern Company, Georgia Power's parent company, said in a statement. "These new Vogtle units not only will support the economy within our communities now and in the future, they demonstrate our global nuclear leadership.”
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