Federal nuclear regulators said Wednesday they would issue a final safety report on the reactors for Georgia Power's $6.1 billion nuclear expansion project later this month.
The revised schedule, issued in a letter from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, means Georgia Power could obtain a key license to begin heavy construction on the project by the end of the year. Tom Fanning, CEO of Atlanta-based Southern Co., Georgia Power’s parent, told investors last week that the revised schedule may mean the utility won’t get that license until early 2012.
Georgia Power is part of a group of utilities building two reactors at Vogtle in an estimated $14 billion project. The reactors are scheduled to start producing power in 2016 and 2017.
Westinghouse has designed a new reactor for the project. The company in June filed an updated design document that included new safety requirements from the NRC. The NRC will hold a hearing on the soon-to-be issued safety report later this year.
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