ATLANTA, July 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- This summer marks the 25th anniversary of the start of operations of Unit 2 at Georgia Power's Plant Vogtle near Waynesboro, Ga. Since first coming online in 1989, the 1,215 megawatt (MW) unit has operated continuously – safely and cleanly powering thousands of homes and businesses and employing thousands of residents from the surrounding communities.
Plant Vogtle, jointly owned by Georgia Power and several other Georgia electric utilities, is operated by Southern Nuclear and sits on more than 3,000 acres on the banks of the Savannah River. The plant is a flagship of Georgia Power's generation fleet and one of just two nuclear generation facilities in Georgia, including Plant Hatch near Baxley, Ga. The plant's twin cooling towers, which release clean water vapor as part of the plant's cooling process, measure more than 540 feet tall and are instantly recognizable as local landmarks.
Since 1989, Plant Vogtle Unit 2 has:
— Produced nearly 225 million megawatt hours of electricity – enough energy to power Atlanta's Turner Field for more than 9,000 years or the city of Atlanta for more than three decades.
— Safely operated at, or near, full capacity with a lifetime "capacity factor" average of 90.5 percent.
— Provided more than 1,000 full-time positions in engineering, maintenance and other functions to safely and efficiently operate units 1 and 2 every day. Plant Vogtle has also employed thousands of additional part-time and temporary workers for refueling outages over the years.
— Contributed millions of dollars in taxes paid to Burke County and local municipalities. Georgia Power estimates that the company and co-owners have paid nearly $500 million in total taxes for Plant Vogtle (including units 1-4) since the project began in the 1970s.
Nuclear energy continues to be an essential part of Georgia Power's long-term, strategic plan for providing energy to Georgians over the next 60 years. The 25th anniversary of Vogtle Unit 2 illustrates the safety, reliability and sustainability of nuclear generation as the construction of two of the first new nuclear units to be built in the United States in three decades progresses on the Plant Vogtle site. The construction of Vogtle units 3 and 4 is the largest job-producing project in the state, employing approximately 5,000 people during peak construction and creating 800 permanent jobs when the plant begins operating. Once Unit 3 enters service in 2017, followed by Unit 4 in 2018, Plant Vogtle will be the only four-unit nuclear facility in the country.
About Georgia Power
Georgia Power is the largest subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), the premier energy company serving the Southeast through its subsidiaries. Value, Reliability, Customer Service and Stewardship are the cornerstones of the company's promise to 2.4 million customers in all but four of Georgia's 159 counties. Committed to delivering clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy at rates below the national average, Georgia Power maintains a diverse, innovative generation mix that includes nuclear, advanced coal and natural gas, renewables such as solar, hydroelectric and wind, as well as a variety of energy efficiency programs. Consistently recognized as a leader in customer service, Georgia Power was recently ranked highest in overall business customer satisfaction among large utilities in the South by J.D. Power and Associates. For more information, visit www.GeorgiaPower.com and connect with the company on Facebook (Facebook.com/GeorgiaPower) and Twitter (Twitter.com/GeorgiaPower).
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:
Certain information contained in this release is forward-looking information based on current expectations and plans that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking information includes, among other things, statements concerning projected schedule for the completion of construction projects and job creation. Georgia Power Company cautions that there are certain factors that can cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information that has been provided. The reader is cautioned not to put undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is not a guarantee of future performance and is subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside the control of Georgia Power Company; accordingly, there can be no assurance that such suggested results will be realized. The following factors, in addition to those discussed in Georgia Power Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013, and subsequent securities filings, could cause actual results to differ materially from management expectations as suggested by such forward-looking information: ability to control costs and avoid cost overruns during the development and construction of facilities, which include the development and construction of generating facilities with designs that have not been finalized or previously constructed, including changes in labor costs and productivity factors, adverse weather conditions, shortages and inconsistent quality of equipment, materials, and labor, contractor or supplier delay or non-performance under construction or other agreements, operational performance, delays associated with start-up activities, including major equipment failure, system integration, and operations, and/or unforeseen engineering problems; ability to construct facilities in accordance with the requirements of permits and licenses, to satisfy any operational and environmental performance standards, and to integrate the Plant Vogtle expansion into the Southern Company system upon completion of construction; regulatory approvals and actions related to the Plant Vogtle expansion, including Georgia Public Service Commission approvals and Nuclear Regulatory Commission actions; the inherent risks involved in operating and constructing nuclear generating facilities, including environmental, health, regulatory, natural disaster, terrorism, and financial risks; the ability of counterparties of Georgia Power Company to make payments as and when due and to perform as required; the direct or indirect effect on Georgia Power Company's business resulting from terrorist incidents and the threat of terrorist incidents, including cyber intrusion; and catastrophic events such as fires, earthquakes, explosions, floods, hurricanes, droughts, pandemic health events such as influenzas, or other similar occurrences. Georgia Power Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking information.
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SOURCE Georgia Power