NEI president testifies in favor of Vogtle project

Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) President and CEO Maria Korsnick recently testified before Georgia’s Public Service Commission (PSC) in favor of allowing Georgia Power to complete its expansion project at the Vogtle nuclear plant near Waynesboro, Georgia.

“NEI believes that building new nuclear power plants in the United States is vital for this safe, reliable, clean air electricity source to maintain its important role in our nation’s energy mix,” Korsnick said. “I urge the commission to consider the overall benefits of nuclear generation as part of its deliberation on the specific issues before it in this proceeding.”

On Aug. 31, Georgia Power’s parent company Southern Company recommended that the project, which involves the construction of two Westinghouse AP1000 reactors, be completed.

On Dec. 14, Georgia Power announced that Toshiba Corporation, parent company of the Vogtle project’s primary contractor Westinghouse Electric Company, had paid the project’s co-owners its full parent guarantee obligation in the amount of $3.68 billion. A conditional additional loan guarantee of $1.67 billion from the U.S. Department of Energy and the full parent guarantee payment, Georgia Power said, would help reduce the total cost of the plant to its customers.

“Completion of the Vogtle reactors will signal that the United States continues to be a significant force in the global nuclear industry,” Korsnick said. “If the U.S. forgoes its role as a leader in the global nuclear industry, the world will look to active nuclear nations like China and Russia for leadership, which will put them in a position to develop future international standards for nuclear energy technology use.”

The PSC will hold a meeting Dec. 21 to decide if the Vogtle three and four construction project will move forward.