Timeline: How Georgia and South Carolina nuclear reactors ran so far off course
The first of two nuclear reactors in Georgia is generating electricity and could be days away from achieving full-power operation
WAYNESBORO, Ga. (AP) — The first of two nuclear reactors in Georgia is generating electricity and could be days away from achieving full-power operation. But the new units at Georgia Power Co.'s Plant Vogtle are $17 billion over budget and running seven years late.
Customers of multiple Georgia utilities are already paying billions , although state regulators haven't yet decided how much Georgia Power ratepayers will owe.
Meanwhile, two of the same model reactors that were planned for different owners in South Carolina were abandoned partway through construction. There, federal prosecutors have pursued criminal charges against utility and construction executives, saying they illegally concealed delays and cost overruns.
The projects were supposed to mark a rebirth for the U.S. nuclear industry, but construction proved difficult despite consistent federal support.
