Georgia Power Says Nuclear Project Will Likely Miss November Deadline

Construction at Plant Vogtle has been delayed before, and the costs have ballooned to at least $25 billion. Both of the nuclear units under construction at the plant near Augusta were supposed to be up and running by mid-2017.

Georgia Power and Southern Company say a delay is likely on the Plant Vogtle nuclear power expansion near Augusta.

The delay would mean lower profits from the project for shareholders and more expenses for the companies involved, including expenses that can be passed on to ratepayers.

In a filing Friday with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Atlanta-based Southern Company and its subsidiary Georgia Power said that one of the major tests before putting the unit into service would be delayed until April, and that while the companies are still aiming for a November deadline to have the reactor up and running, they say it’s likely they’ll miss it by at least a month — and maybe more.