It may be a fight to the finish in terms of an agreement on proposed costs for two new nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle. Recently, the Georgia Public Service Commission held a hearing regarding an agreement proposed by its own staff and Georgia Power to increase the “official” costs of the two reactors by up to $2 Billion. Members of the Public Service Commission (PSC) are set to make a decision December 20.The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) is objecting and says it not a good deal for customers. The organization made that argument at the recent public hearing in Atlanta and has now filed official objections to the proposal with the PSC and is urging consumers to object to the commission as well.

Sara Barczak with the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy told us last month the project is more than three years behind schedule and now approaching a 45 month delay.  She says the PSC staff agreement with Georgia Power means customers who have been paying millions of dollars in interest (on finance charges for the construction loan) will continue to pay. “Customers have been paying these charges for six years now. And it seems you will be paying more over a longer period of time and that doesn’t sound like a win-win for customers in our opinion,” said Barczak.  SACE said in a recent statement that the proposed agreement seems to be a case a case of regulatory amnesia.

A Georgia Power spokesman Jacob Hawkins told us “the settlement agreement under consideration fairly balances the company’s contribution with customer benefits and delivers approximately $325 million dollars in savings to customers during the construction period while keeping the project’s overall rate impact to customers at 6 to 8 percent.”

For additional information filed by Georgia Power along with other material being considered by the PSC click http://www.psc.state.ga.us/factsv2/Docket.aspx?docketNumber=29849