1. The finances and future of nuclear power
When Georgia Power began building the two new nuclear power units at Plant Vogtle in Waynesboro in 2009, they were seen as part of a nuclear renaissance in the United States. The renaissance didn’t go as expected, and the Plant Vogtle expansion has ended up as the only commercial nuclear power construction project in the county.
The project is billions of dollars over budget and years behind schedule, but the first of the two new units at Vogtle is expected to go into service in the first quarter of 2023.
Once it does, Georgia Power customers will start seeing more nuclear costs added to their monthly power bills. That’s on top of the nuclear line item they’ve been paying since 2011, a rate hike approved by the Georgia Public Service Commission just before Christmas, and another expected hike early this year to cover the rising cost of coal and natural gas.
Read this story for free
To continue reading, sign up for our newsletters and get unlimited access to WABE.org
We won't share your information with outside organizations Why am I seeing this?
