Georgia commission approves expenses for Plant Vogtle monitoring report

The Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) recently approved $222 million in expenditures on the Plant Vogtle Nuclear Power Construction Project for the period July 1, 2016 through Dec. 31, 2016.

This decision closes out the Sixteenth Semi-annual Vogtle Construction Monitoring Report in Docket 29849.

The PSC also voted to approve a motion by Commission Chairman Stan Wise to set filing requirements for the seventeenth monitoring report, which requires Georgia Power Company to file their intention to proceed with the Plant Vogtle construction project and address 14 issues related to the project.

“This vote today sends a message to the Company, the Company’s partners, ratepayers, and Wall Street that the Commission continues to be supportive of this project provided it can be done economically,” Wise said. “This information will help us in deciding the appropriateness of whether this project should go forward or not go forward.”

The commission also approved an amendment to the motion that allows the PSC to revise or rescind any future commission order should the company abandon the project.

“My concern is that if what happened in South Carolina with the partners voting not to go forward happens here, that without additional clarification our ratepayers could be put at a disadvantage,” Commissioner Tim Echols, who proposed the amendment, said. “My amendment clarifies that this Commission can undo this or a future order and that everyone including Georgia Power are aware of that.”