"Georgia Power Customers to Face Rate Hike for Plant Vogtle Expansion Costs"

The Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) has approved a plan that will pass most of the costs for the completion of Plant Vogtle's two new nuclear reactors onto Georgia Power customers. The decision allows Georgia Power to charge ratepayers for $7.56 billion of the $10.2 billion expected to be spent on the project, resulting in another rate increase of about 6% for residential customers. The approval comes after years of budget overruns and delays, with the total cost of the project now estimated at $35 billion. Critics argue that ratepayers would have been better served by investing in natural gas plants instead.