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Yesterday was a great day for Georgia's energy future, as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued an Early Site Permit (ESP) for the two new reactors at Plant Vogtle.  The Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant is a 2-unit nuclear power plant located in Burke County, near Augusta and Waynesboro, Georgia  The permit essentially determines that the site is suitable for construction of the new generating units, and allows for preliminary construction work.

The two new units at Plant Vogtle will benefit citizens throughout the state, because, in addition to Georgia Power, the plant is owned by Oglethorpe Power Corporation, Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia (MEAG Power), and Dalton Utilities.  These organizations represent the state's Electric Membership Corporations and municipal utilities.

Plant Vogtle's new units will help meet the demand for growing energy use in our state, by providing safe, reliable and economical electricity with a zero-emission technology.

The project also will benefit Georgia's economy because it represents a $14 billion capital investment in Georgia that will create thousands of construction jobs and 800 permanent jobs once the units are operational.

Plant Vogtle's owners appreciate the support they have received from citizens and community leaders throughout the state.  In March, the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) approved Georgia Power's request to certify Vogtle units 3 and 4, following the passage and signing of Senate Bill 31, which lowers the financing cost of the new units for Georgia Power customers.  Customers of other utilities in Georgia have previously benefited from recovery of financing costs during construction, which was also endorsed by the Georgia PSC.

The new units at Plant Vogtle are similar to the existing two units, but they also represent a new era of nuclear power technology, including a streamlined regulatory process, certified designs that utilities will share, improved efficiency and safety systems and better construction techniques.

The two new units at Plant Vogtle represent the hard work of our employees, Georgia's community leaders and our state leaders.

Thank you for your interest in and support of our efforts to plan for Georgia's future.  For more information about yesterday's announcement, and other news at Georgia Power, please click on the following link:
http://www.georgiapower.com/pluggedin/home.asp

Mike Garrett
Georgia Power President and CEO