nuclear-news

Problems, $900 lawsuits – Vogtle Nuclear Plant now years away

The delays and cost pressures have created friction between the
construction partners and utility companies that will serve as the
plant’s owners, escalating into a series of lawsuits totaling more
than $900 million.

New Nuclear Plant Hits Some Snags, WSJ,  By REBECCA SMITH, 23 Dec 12
The first newly licensed nuclear-power plant to be built in the U.S.
in decades, the Vogtle project in Georgia, has run into construction
problems and may be falling years behind schedule, according to an
engineering expert advising the state.

The $14 billion plant is being closely watched by energy experts as a
bellwether for the rebirth of the U.S. nuclear industry, because it
involves a new type of nuclear reactor and a modular construction
method that are supposed to reduce construction time and cost.But a
construction monitor warned in a report to the Georgia Public Service
Commission this month that the plant, which will be operated by
Southern Co. SO -0.48% on behalf of several utilities, was falling
behind schedule ……
Southern already was facing criticism from consumer groups that
Georgia customers’ power needs could be met more cheaply by
natural-gas-fired power plants and through conservation efforts……
For the power sector, the delay evokes unpleasant memories of cost
overruns during the latest big nuclear-construction cycle, in the
1980s, which resulted in massive rate increases and utility
losses……
The delays and cost pressures have created friction between the
construction partners and utility companies that will serve as the
plant’s owners, escalating into a series of lawsuits totaling more
than $900 million……http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324731304578193880676864240.html

December 26, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, USA