ATLANTA, Nov. 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia Power announced today the latest milestone at the Vogtle nuclear expansion project – the recent placement of the CA02 module for Unit 4. Weighing 52 tons, the CA02 is a critical component and part of the In-Containment Refueling Water Storage Tank (IRWST). The IRWST is a 75,300 cubic foot tank that, once the units are operational, is filled with borated water and is a key safety feature within containment providing automatic, gravity-fed backup cooling for the reactor vessel.
Georgia Power has also released the latest Vogtle Timeline video highlighting safety, productivity and efficiency at the Vogtle site in the third quarter of 2017. More than 6,000 workers are onsite today working on the nation's only new nuclear units and focused on increased productivity and safe, high-quality construction.
Now available on Georgia Power's YouTube Channel, the new Vogtle Timeline video includes:
- Comments from Mark Rauckhorst, executive vice president for the Vogtle 3 and 4 project. Rauckhorst discusses progress and productivity at the site, the unified recommendation to move forward with the project and the renewed confidence of thousands of workers with more than 40 million safe work hours achieved without a lost-time accident.
- Construction progress through the third quarter of 2017, highlighting recent milestones such as placement of the first steam generator, installation of two accumulator tanks for Unit 3 and a concrete placement lasting more than 75 hours in Unit 3 containment resulting in continuous pouring of nearly 2,000 cubic yards of concrete, followed by placement of 430 cubic yards of concrete in Unit 4 containment.
- Plant Vogtle's continued support of local education through programs such as Neighborhood Renewal. Four local students recently received college scholarships to pursue careers in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields.
Follow the progress being made at the project with new photos added from the Vogtle nuclear expansion site each month in the Plant Vogtle 3 & 4 Online Photo Gallery.
Vogtle Project Review Underway
Georgia Power owns 45.7 percent of the new units, with the project's other Georgia-based co-owners including Oglethorpe Power, MEAG Power and Dalton Utilities. On August 31, Georgia Power filed a recommendation with the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) to continue construction of the Vogtle nuclear expansion supported by all of the project's other co-owners. The recommendation was based on the results of a comprehensive schedule, cost-to-complete and cancellation assessment launched following the bankruptcy of Westinghouse in March. The Georgia PSC is reviewing the recommendation and is expected to make a decision regarding the future of the Vogtle 3 and 4 project as part of the 17th Vogtle Construction Monitoring (VCM) proceeding. Read the 17th VCM Report here and comments from Georgia Power Chairman, President & CEO Paul Bowers to the Georgia PSC here.
From the beginning of the Vogtle expansion, Georgia Power has worked to minimize the impact of the new units on customer bills. This effort continues during the Georgia PSC's review of the recommendation with the company recently announcing a conditional commitment of approximately $1.67 billion in additional loan guarantees for the project from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), as well as receipt of the first of multiple scheduled parent guarantee payments from Toshiba. Today, the total expected rate impact of the project remains less than the original estimate, after including anticipated customer benefits from federal production tax credits, interest savings from loan guarantees from the DOE and the fuel savings of nuclear energy.
Final approval and issuance of these additional loan guarantees by the DOE cannot be assured and are subject to the negotiation of definitive agreements, completion of due diligence by the DOE, receipt of any necessary regulatory approvals, and satisfaction of other conditions.
About Georgia Power
Georgia Power is the largest electric subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), America's premier energy company. Value, Reliability, Customer Service and Stewardship are the cornerstones of the company's promise to 2.5 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, coal and natural gas, as well as renewables such as solar, hydroelectric and wind. Georgia Power focuses on delivering world-class service to its customers every day and the company is consistently recognized by J.D. Power and Associates as an industry leader in customer satisfaction. For more information, visit www.GeorgiaPower.com and connect with the company on Facebook (Facebook.com/GeorgiaPower), Twitter (Twitter.com/GeorgiaPower) and Instagram (Instagram.com/ga_power).
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain information contained in this communication is forward-looking information based on current expectations and plans that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking information includes, among other things, statements concerning expected rate impacts and other future actions related to Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4. Georgia Power cautions that there are certain factors that could 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; accordingly, there can be no assurance that such suggested results will be realized. The following factors, in addition to those discussed in Georgia Power's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, and subsequent securities filings, could cause actual results to differ materially from management expectations as suggested by such forward-looking information: the impact of any inability or other failure of Toshiba to perform its obligations under its guarantee; the impact of any failure to extend the in-service deadline for federal production tax credits; the impact of any failure to amend the DOE loan guarantee to allow for additional borrowings; state and federal rate regulations and the impact of pending and future rate cases and negotiations; the impact of recent and future federal and state regulatory changes, as well as changes in application of existing laws and regulations; current and future litigation, regulatory investigations, proceedings, or inquiries; available sources and costs of fuels; effects of inflation; the ability to control costs and avoid cost overruns during the development construction and operation of facilities, which include the development and construction of generating facilities with designs that have not been finalized or previously constructed; the ability to construct facilities in accordance with the requirements of permits and licenses, to satisfy any environmental performance standards and the requirements of tax credits and other incentives, and to integrate facilities into the Southern Company system upon completion of construction; advances in technology; legal proceedings and regulatory approvals and actions related to Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4, including Georgia Public Service Commission approvals and Nuclear Regulatory Commission actions; interest rate fluctuations and financial market conditions and the results of financing efforts; changes in The Southern Company's or Georgia Power's credit ratings, including impacts on interest rates, access to capital markets, and collateral requirements; the impacts of any sovereign financial issues, including impacts on interest rates, access to capital markets, impacts on foreign currency exchange rates, counterparty performance, and the economy in general, as well as potential impacts on the benefits of DOE loan guarantees; and the effect of accounting pronouncements issued periodically by standard setting bodies. Georgia Power expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking information.
SOURCE Georgia Power