Citing the drawn-out licensing process, Georgia Power officials told state regulators Monday that completion of the third reactor at the Vogtle nuclear plant could be delayed by as much as five months.
The Southern Co. subsidiary and three other utilities are building two Westinghouse AP1000 reactors at the plant near Augusta, Ga. Construction has progressed on schedule since it began in 2009, but the project still needs a combined license, which itself is contingent upon approval of an amended AP1000 design. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is expected to approve the COL by the end of the year.
Unit 4, slated for completion in 2017, is on schedule. But Georgia Power representatives told the Georgia Public Service Commission that the company would take 60 days after the license is issued to determine if the current construction schedule for unit 3 remains possible. WABE reported the company warned state regulators the completion date could be pushed back from April to September of 2016.