The Georgia Public Service Commission unanimously approved Georgia Power’s request to approve and verify $141 million in expenditures on the Plant Vogtle Nuclear Power Construction Project for the period January 1, 2016 through June 30, 2016 and total capital costs of $3.68 billion. This amount remains within the Commission certified construction cost. This decision is not a ruling on whether the expenditures are reasonable and prudent but only acknowledges that the Company has spent the funds on the project. This decision closes out the Fifteenth Semi-annual Vogtle Construction Monitoring Report in Docket 29849.
 
“The Plant Vogtle project continues to make progress despite well publicized setbacks.  I believe that in the long run this project, when completed, will provide reliable, stable and carbon free electricity for many generations of Georgians,” said Commission Chairman Stan Wise.
 
The Company filed its 15th Vogtle Construction Monitoring Report on August 31, 2016. The Commission held two hearings in this docket on November 3, 2016 on the Company’s direct testimony and on December 6, 2016 on Commission staff and interested parties testimony.
 
"Nuclear power is working every day for Georgia, and our people are familiar with it," said Commission Vice-chair Tim Echols. "We just have to make sure we keep mechanisms in place to protect our ratepayers."

Plant Vogtle is a nuclear power electric generating plant near Waynesboro, Georgia. When fully operational, Units Three and Four now under construction will produce 2,200 Megawatts of electricity, enough to power about 500,000 homes. Plant Vogtle Units One and Two have been in commercial operation since 1987 and 1989 respectively.
 
The Commission certified Georgia Power’s share of the construction cost of Plant Vogtle Units Three and Four on March 17, 2009 at $6.114 billion. Georgia Power owns 45.7 per cent of Plant Vogtle with its partners, Oglethorpe Power Corporation, Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia and the City of Dalton Utilities.
 
In other action, the Commission unanimously approved an alternative form of regulation for the Atlanta Gas Light Company in Docket 40828 known as the Georgia Rate Adjustment Mechanism. The Commission decision means a small rate adjustment for residential customers of $0.90 monthly. This is the first increase in the Company’s rates since 2010. Customers will see the adjustment in the bills they receive from their natural gas marketers beginning on March 1, 2017.
 
In Docket 40720, the Commission unanimously approved a requirement to include a new training module on hand-digging as part of the Commission approved training on the Georgia Underground Facilities Protection Act. At the request of Commissioner Stan Wise, communications companies, utilities, excavators, contractors, facilities locators and Commission staff made presentations on September 1, 2016 to address the increase in excavation damages using hand tools. “Any damage could be the catalyst to the loss of life and detrimentally affect the public safety and welfare,” said Commissioner Wise. The new module must be included in all basic training classes by September 1, 2017.