Gov. Brian Kemp is doubling down on nuclear power, pushing for an expansion at Georgia's Plant Vogtle just as the facility wraps up a beleaguered construction project. Celebrating the completion of two new costly reactors, Kemp rallied Wednesday for a "Vogtle Five" despite the original $14 billion price tag inflating to over $31 billion and years of delay. WABE reports a mix of state officials and business bigwigs joined Kemp in the celebrations.
It seems Kemp's call for more nuclear might be a hot potato with Georgians and Southern Company shareholders, alike having seen their bills hiked numerous times to bankroll the new reactors. Vogtle, swinging as the only new nuclear construction in the United States, is a testament both to the remarkable resilience of the Southern Company and a cautionary tale of escalating costs when Westinghouse, the original lead contractor, went bankrupt back in 2017.
A staunch opponent, Liz Coyle, executive director of the watchdog group Georgia Watch, pointed out the lack of nuclear projects elsewhere as a signifier of trouble. "If building more nuclear were a good idea, other states would be jumping on the bandwagon now," Coyle said in a statement obtained by WABE. Her group is gearing up to oppose any move towards a new reactor.
Amid the pageantry of patriotic songs and sheet cake at the event, officials were all smiles, with Kemp asserting that Vogtle Units Three and Four are "physical examples" of the state's resilience through hard times. However, behind the scenes, it appears some are wary of history repeating itself, with Public Service Commissioner Tim Echols empathizing the need for cost-control measures, to help prevent another financial disaster likened to previous setbacks.
Despite Echols' concern, the push for clean energy moves to the fore, with praise for Vogtle's capacity to power a million homes without the greenhouse gas emissions tied to coal or gas. This environmentally-friendly feather in Georgia's cap is believed by Kemp and cohorts to lure businesses to the state. Yet, the burden of financing a potential fifth reactor looms large, with Georgia Power customers already feeling the pinch from rate increases due to the recently completed Unit Four, according to WABE.
Should Kemp's vision for a "Vogtle Five" move forward, it would mark a divergence from the financing model of its predecessors, thanks in part to a 2018 state law. And with U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm and national climate advisor Ali Zaidi slated to visit the plant on Friday, all eyes are on how the federal government's stance on nuclear energy will shape the future of Vogtle and Georgia's energy landscape.
