nuclear-news

Vogtle costs approved despite warnings of overruns and delays

Vogtle costs approved despite warnings of overruns and delays By Kristi E. Swartz The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 23 Aug 12, Reports of cost overruns and scheduling delays loom over Georgia Power’s Plant Vogtle expansion project…… An independent utility watchdog has warned of scheduling delays at Vogtle, however. The delays have made the project’s capital and financing costs go up, he said.

In addition, Georgia Power is disputing its responsibility for a $425
million cost overrun stemming from delays in getting key license
approvals from federal regulators. The project’s main vendors,
Westinghouse and The Shaw Group, say Georgia Power is responsible for
that amount. Separately the vendors have sued the utility and the
project’s co-owners for additional expenses that came from backfilling
two excavation sites at Vogtle.

The continuing dispute over who will pay for those escalating costs
may force the reactors to start producing power later than their
scheduled 2016 and 2017 dates, the utility’s parent, Southern Co.,
said in a recent document.

Georgia Power and a group of municipal and cooperative electricity
utilities are adding two reactors at Vogtle. The reactors are the
first in the United States to win permits in 30 years. ..
http://www.ajc.com/business/vogtle-costs-approved-despite-1503361.html

August 24, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, USA