Electric Co-op Today

A Georgia power supply cooperative is part of a landmark license issued by federal regulators for the first new nuclear power plant in more than 30 years.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued a license for two new reactors that will be partially owned by Oglethorpe Power Corp. (Photo By: Southern Co.)

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission voted 4-1 on Feb. 9 to approve plans for two new 1,100-megawatt units at the Alvin W. Vogtle Nuclear Plant, located in eastern Georgia, near the South Carolina border.

Tucker, Ga.-based Oglethorpe Power Corp. will own 30 percent of the two units, just as it has a 30 percent stake in two existing units at Vogtle with a combined 2,300 megawatts of capacity.

“We are pleased with the NRC’s approval of the combined operating and construction licenses for Vogtle Units 3 and 4 and look forward to the onset of full construction in the very near future,” said Greg Jones, director, public relations, Oglethorpe Power.

“When these two units begin operating in 2016 and 2017, they will become an integral part of the diversified power generation portfolio from which we serve our member EMCs,” he said.

Southern Co.’s Georgia Power holds a 45.7 percent share at Vogtle, and will oversee construction and operation of the $14 billion project. As many as 5,000 workers will be employed during peak construction times.

“This is a monumental accomplishment for Southern Company, Georgia Power, our partners and the nuclear industry,” said Thomas A. Fanning, president and CEO of the IOU. “We are committed to bringing these units online to deliver clean, safe and reliable energy to our customers. The project is on track, and our targets related to cost and schedule are achievable.”

The license was the first issued since before the 1979 Three Mile Island accident. The industry stalled in the 1980s amid economic and safety concerns.

The NRC action also marked its first approval under a streamlined process that combines regulatory safety and environmental reviews.

“Vogtle Units 3 and 4 will represent a new era of nuclear safety,” Commissioner William D. Magwood said.

Commission Chairman Gregory Jazcko was the lone nay vote. He cited concerns about the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan in 2011.

In 2010, the Obama administration announced it would back the project with an $8.3 billion loan guarantee from the Department of Energy. Some preliminary work has been ongoing since 2009 under a limited NRC authorization.

The Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia and the city of Dalton, Ga., are the other partners at Vogtle.

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Tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Obama Administration, Power Plants