Plant Vogtle marks 30 years of reliable energy and community impact

This summer marks the 30th anniversary of the start of operations of the Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant (Plant Vogtle). Plant Vogtle Units 1 & 2, which began operation in 1987 and 1989 respectively, are capable of generating a total of 2,430 megawatts – enough energy to reliably power more than 500,000 Georgia homes and businesses simultaneously. Approximately 20 percent of Georgia Power's electricity in 2016 was produced by nuclear generation and Georgians across the state have benefitted from the investments made in Plant Vogtle and the state's other nuclear power plant, Plant Hatch. 

Available to meet customer demand 24 hours a day, Plant Vogtle has kept energy flowing in Georgia over the past 30 years while: 

• Producing more than 526 million megawatt total hours of emission-free electricity.


• Preventing millions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions from power generation. According to the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), Georgia's nuclear plants prevent more than 23 million metric tons of carbon dioxide every year.

"As we mark this incredible milestone for Plant Vogtle and its team, we remain focused on supporting our communities and ensuring that we have the most flexible and diverse generation mix in place to serve our customers today and for decades to come," said Paul Bowers, chairman, president and CEO of Georgia Power. "A diverse fuel mix, including nuclear, is essential to maintaining a reliable and affordable energy infrastructure that attracts new investment, supports economic growth and creates jobs. Working with the Georgia Public Service Commission through the established Integrated Resource Planning process, we are making the right long-term investments and producing a competitive and sustainable energy environment in our state." 

In addition to power production for the state's electric customers, Plant Vogtle's community impact over the last 30 years includes:

• Stimulation of economic growth in the region through contributions of nearly $500 million in local tax revenues.


• More than 900 high-quality, permanent jobs for East Georgia with more than $1 billion in total wages for employees .


• A focus on community involvement with plant employees donating at least 20,000 hours of community service to various causes and employee and corporate contributions of more than $4.5 million to United Way of the Central Savannah River Area.