Federal permit clears way for nuclear plants at Vogtle

By Kristi E. Swartz

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Southern Nuclear has secured a necessary federal permit to allow it to build two new nuclear reactors at Georgia Power’s Plant Vogtle facility in Waynesboro, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Wednesday.

The permit, called an early-site permit, means federal regulators have reviewed safety and environmental issues related to building two additional reactors at the site. It also lets Georgia Power do some preliminary construction work.

The permit is good for 20 years.

Southern Nuclear and Georgia Power are owned by Atlanta-based Southern Co., which operates utilities in Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi. The majority of its plants are coal fired.

State utility regulators have already signed off on Georgia Power’s plans for the two, 1,100-megawatt reactors, but the utility still needs to secure a combined operating license from federal regulators.

Construction of the reactors is expected to be completed by 2017. The utility’s portion of the total estimated $14 billion cost will be $6.4 billion.

Nuclear power is making a comeback in the United States as the nation tries to lessen its dependence on natural gas and foreign oil as well as cut back on carbon emissions and other pollutants. While several utilities have hinted at building nuclear reactors, few have actually committed to doing so.

Critics of nuclear power say the plants are too costly to build — placing a heavy burden on consumers’ wallets. What’s more, there has been no clear solution on how to handle nuclear waste.

Industry analysts say that because of the cost involved and the financial risk to creditors, nuclear reactor construction nowadays requires the security of government loan guarantees to be built.

Georgia Power parent Southern Co. is one of four companies in line to split $18.5 billion in federal government loan guarantees that would be used to build new nuclear power facilities, according to The Wall Street Journal. A Southern Nuclear spokeswoman said earlier that she could not confirm that report, however.