佐治亚州的Power已同意承担更大的财务责任，以在沃格特核电站扩张的情况下增加未来的成本增加。该协议于9月26日是在这项270亿美元项目的所有者之一Oglethorpe Power Co.之后，要求对未来成本进行上限，以作为其继续建设的批准条件。新利18备用官网登录
四名业主在一份联合声明中说：“我们都很高兴达成了一项协议，并继续建造vogtle单位3和4。”“尽管在整个过程中都存在并且将面临挑战，但我们仍然致力于彼此建设性的关系，并致力于降低项目风险并履行我们对成员消费者的承诺。”
佐治亚力量—a division of Southern Co.—owns 45.7% of the project, while Oglethorpe’s stake is 30%. The Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia (MEAG) owns 22.7% of the project, with the remaining 1.6% share held by Dalton Utilities. Only Oglethorpe Power Co. (OPC) had held out for a cap on costs. MEAG and Dalton had approved continuing construction without new conditions.
The recent owner votes on whether to proceed with construction came after Georgia Power announced in August that project costs had increased $2.3 billion. Concerns over further cost increases for ratepayers of OPC and MEAG—customer owned electric cooperatives—led Georgia state legislators on Sept. 19 to write a letter to project owners urging a cost cap.
With roughly four years of construction remaining, OPC sought to “hold Southern Company accountable for its newly revised budget and let their owners be responsible for any additional amounts beyond this level.," according to a statement issued by OPC on Sept. 24. OPC estimates its share of project costs has grown from an initial estimated $4.2 billion to roughly $7.25 billion.
The agreement announced Sept. 26 puts an incrementally greater financial burden on Georgia Power for future cost increases.
使用2018年8月Vogtle施工监测（VCM）报告中包含的估计成本作为基准，如果该项目的未来成本增长超过8亿美元，则新协议将制定佐治亚电力的额外成本范围。新利18备用官网登录
根据南方Co .) 9月26日公布的文件,我f costs increase by between $800 million and $1.6 billion, Georgia Power will see its financial responsibility rise to 55.7% of construction costs. Added costs of between $1.6 billion and $2.1 billion would raise Georgia Power’s responsibility to 65.7%.
If the current EAC jumps by more $2.1 billion, Georgia Power will offer to take on 100% of these additional costs. In this situation, Southern’s 8-K states: “Each of the other Vogtle owners would have a one-time option to tender a portion of its ownership interest to Georgia Power in exchange for Georgia Power’s agreement to pay 100% of such Vogtle Owner’s remaining share of construction costs.”
Additionally, the filing states: “In this event, Georgia Power would have the option of canceling the project in lieu of purchasing a portion of the ownership interest of any other Vogtle Owner.”
The agreement effectively eliminates any future votes by project owners over whether or not to continue construction.
The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy quickly weighed in on the decision. “We're very concerned about today's announcement because it's clear the Plant Vogtle nuclear project is in serious trouble if this much arm twisting is necessary to keep all four partners at the table,” stated Stephen Smith, SACE executive director.
