Fulton group sues over nuclear early-pay bill

Two months after it roared through the state Legislature, a bill requiring Georgia Power customers to pay early for new nuclear reactors is still awaiting Gov. Sonny Perdue’s signature.

The governor’s office has indicated that he intends to sign it.

Meanwhile, though, the bill has become the target of a lawsuit by the Fulton County Taxpayers’ Foundation, the same group that sued over the Beltline.

The group sued Perdue, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and House Speaker Glenn Richardson, among others, last week.

The lawsuit says Senate Bill 31 — which permits the company to charge customers a nuclear fee on their monthly bills before construction of the reactors is complete — was passed illegally because it originated in the state Senate instead of the House.

It says any measure that increases revenues should originate in the House.

Georgia Power spokesman Jeff Wilson said the company isn’t worried about the lawsuit.

The filing “does not alter our conclusion that SB 31 is consistent with the constitution and laws of Georgia and will become law,” he said.