This latest milestone continues momentum at the site of the only new nuclear units under construction in the U.S. In December, 1,300 cubic yards of concrete was placed inside the Unit 4 containment vessel in a continuous placement that lasted 21 hours. In November, the last of the "Big 6" modules for the project was placed – the Unit 4 CA02 module, which will make up the in-containment refueling water storage tank.

Georgia Power has also released the latest Vogtle Timeline video highlighting safety, progress and efficiency at the Vogtle site for the fourth quarter of 2017. More than 6,000 workers are onsite working on the nation's only new nuclear units and focused on increased productivity and safe, high-quality construction.

Also available on Georgia Power's YouTube Channel, the new Vogtle Timeline video includes: 

• The Georgia Public Service Commission's unanimous approval of Georgia Power's recommendation to complete Vogtle 3 and 4 (see more information below).

• Construction progress through the fourth quarter of 2017, highlighting recent milestones including the placement of nearly 1,300 cubic yards of concrete inside the Unit 4 containment vessel, and the placement of the last "Big 6" module for the project, the 52-ton CA02 module for Unit 4.

• Plant Vogtle's continued support of local communities through volunteer efforts, charitable donations and the Vogtle Energy Education Center.

• Comments from Mark Rauckhorst, executive vice president for the Vogtle 3 and 4 project, and Joe Klecha, Vogtle 3 and 4 project director, as both recap a memorable 2017, and look forward to the exciting year ahead.

In addition, Georgia Power has added an exciting new feature to its website to provide viewers an exclusive look inside Vogtle units 3 and 4.

The online aerial tour features several vantage points around the site, allowing the user to zoom in on several key areas of units 3 and 4, including the containment vessels, turbine buildings and cooling towers.

The tour is accessible from the Vogtle 3 and 4 showcase section of the georgiapower.com website.

Follow the progress being made at the project with new photos added from the Vogtle nuclear expansion site each month in the Plant Vogtle 3 and 4 Online Photo Gallery.

Georgia Power to move forward with Vogtle 3 and 4

Georgia Power announced on Dec. 21, 2017, that it will move forward with the Vogtle 3 and 4 project following unanimous approval by the Georgia Public Service Commission.

The decision by the Georgia PSC followed months of review and evaluation of a unified recommendation presented in August 2017 by the Vogtle co-owners. The recommendation was based on the results of a comprehensive schedule, cost-to-complete and cancellation assessment that was prompted by the bankruptcy of former primary Vogtle contractor Westinghouse in March and the subsequent rejection of the fixed-price contract. The decision continues to protect customers with new penalties for delays and cost increases in addition to penalties included in the previous stipulated agreement approved earlier this year by the Georgia PSC. Under this amended structure, shareholders will see a significant impact of approximately $750 million through November 2022 and the company has agreed to further reductions if the project does not meet the revised and approved in-service dates. Additionally, as a result, the amount paid by customers will be reduced by more than $1.7 billion during the construction period.

From the beginning of the Vogtle expansion, Georgia Power has worked to pursue all available benefits for customers and minimize the impact of the new units on electric bills. In September, the company announced a new conditional commitment of approximately $1.67 billion in additional loan guarantees for the project from the U.S. Department of Energy illustrating renewed federal support for the project. Most recently, the company received 100 percent of parent guarantee funds available from Toshiba years earlier than expected and will use every dollar to benefit customers. The parent guarantee payments from Toshiba, in addition to the penalties in place for the company, are contributing approximately $2.75 billion which will reduce the total cost of the project.

Final approval and issuance of the additional loan guarantees by the DOE cannot be assured and are subject to the negotiation of definitive agreements, completion of due diligence by the DOE, receipt of any necessary regulatory approvals, and satisfaction of other conditions.