The Georgia Public Service Commission today unanimously approved Georgia Power Company’s request to verify and approve the expenditures in the Eleventh Vogtle Construction Monitoring Report for the period between January 1, 2014, and  June 30, 2014, in Docket Number 29849.

The amount approved today for the Vogtle expansion is $198 million, bringing the total construction cost verified to date to $2.797 billion. No costs above the amount certified in 2009 were approved today.

The decision follows hearings on November 5, 2014, for the Company’s testimony and on December 16, 2014, for the Public Advocacy Staff’s testimony. According to the Company’s latest filings with the Security and Exchange Commission, Unit Three will begin commercial operation in late-2019, and Unit Four will begin operation a year later during the fourth quarter of 2020.

The Commission on March 17, 2009, certified Georgia Power’s share of the cost for the Plant Vogtle Nuclear Construction Project as $6.114 billion. Plant Vogtle is co-owned by Georgia Power, Oglethorpe Power, City of Dalton Utilities and the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia. More information about Plant Vogtle can be found on the Commission website, www.psc.state.ga.us, under Docket Numbers 29849 and 27800.

The Commissioners continue to acknowledge the benefits of this project. Commissioner Tim Echols noted, "Not only will this facility produce carbon-free energy for decades, but should the price of natural gas go up substantially, we will have a hedge against increased fuel costs." To provide the Commission with accurate and complete information, parties in future filings will examine both potential benefits and detriments in their analyses.