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Prevent Building New Reactors in Georgia
Join Southern Alliance for
Clean Energy’s efforts to prevent building new nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle here in Georgia and instead advocate for
safe, clean and affordable energy choices that can reduce global warming pollution now including energy efficiency and conservation, wind, solar
and bioenergy. With an already high reliance on nuclear power in Georgia and all electric utilities in the state pushing for new, higher
cost nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle, the time is now to take action.
Southern Alliance for Clean Energy has a long history challenging nuclear plant Vogtle in Burke County, Georgia and
that involvement continues today as we challenge the proposed expansion at the state and federal level. Plant Vogtle was one of the last
and most costly nuclear plants built in the country. Original estimates for four reactors were $660 million. Eventually, only two
reactors were built, costing more than $8 billion, resulting at the time in the largest rate hike in Georgia. Unfortunately, Georgia
utilities are venturing down this costly and risky path again.
On the federal side, the Early Site Permit was the first step taken by Georgia utilities
to obtain federal approval for new nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle. Southern Company’s nuclear division, Southern Nuclear Operating
Company, filed for the permit with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in August 2006 on behalf of Plant Vogtle’s co-owners, Georgia
Power (a subsidiary of the Southern Company), Oglethorpe Power, the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia (MEAG Power) and Dalton Utilities. The permit could be used at any time for up to twenty years in any future applications with the NRC. In 2008, Southern Nuclear also filed a combined construction and operating license application (COL-A) with the NRC.
Citizen groups, Atlanta WAND (Women’s Action for New Directions), Blue Ridge Environmental
Defense League, Center for a Sustainable Coast, Savannah Riverkeeper and Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, legally challenged both permits to
stop the building of new nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle in Burke County along the Savannah River and the cases are ongoing. The
Emory University School of Law’s Turner Environmental Law Clinic, along with attorney Diane Curran of Washington, D.C., are representing
the organizations. View our ESP challenge and COL challenge. The NRC approved the ESP in August 2009. SACE and our partners filed an appeal with the DC Circuit Court in October.
SACE is also active at the Georgia Public Service Commission, advocating for clean, affordable energy choices such as energy
efficiency and wind, solar, and bioenergy and opposing risky proposals, such as Georgia Power’s current effort to build two more costly
reactors at Plant Vogtle.
In June 2009, SACE filed a lawsuit on behalf of its members against the Georgia Public Service Commission (GPSC) and Gov. Sonny Perdue that could prevent ratepayers from having to prepay for the proposed Plant Vogtle nuclear reactors. By asking the Court to review the constitutionality of the Georgia Nuclear Energy Financing Act (SB 31) and the legality of the GPSC’s approval of Georgia Power’s request to certify additional nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle, SACE is taking legal action to halt nuclear construction that is too costly and too high-risk for Georgia. Listen by clicking here to Clark Howard's commentary on SB31 as it was underway during the 2009 state legislative session. Read the PSC analysis on the problems with SB 31. Check out our blog that discusses the prepayment scheme in depth. A hearing was held December 2, 2009 in Fulton County Superior Court and the Judge recused himself from the case. The case will be reassigned to a new Judge and SACE stands ready to argue our case.
Associated Position Statements