Southern Co. executives told state regulators Tuesday that a project to build two new reactors at Plant Vogtle remains on track for completion in mid-2017.
Southern's budget for its share of the $14 billion project is also within earlier projections, the Augusta Chronicle reported. Southern holds the largest stake in the new Westinghouse AP1000 reactors, which are currently 56 percent complete. Tuesday's meeting was part of a public hearing before the Georgia Public Service Commission as it reviews the company's $389 million spend on the project in 2013.
Southern also said that last year saw substantial progress in rectifying quality control issues that contributed to a $700 million budget increase earlier in construction. The utility said it had greater confidence in the management of Chicago Bridge & Iron, which acquired the project's original contractor, the Shaw Group. CB&I has tightened quality control oversight at the plant, going so far as to temporarily stop work this February when an internal report indicated quality had declined.