Georgia Plant Vogtle continues to serve as a cornerstone of the state electricity supply, with its newest reactors operating at full output. Georgia Power reported that Vogtle Unit 3 reached 100 percent energy output, producing about 1,100 megawatts, enough to power roughly 500,000 homes and businesses. Unit 3 began commercial operation in 2023 and Unit 4 followed in 2024, completing an expansion that spanned more than a decade.
Together the four units bring Vogtle total capacity to nearly 5 gigawatts, making it the largest nuclear power plant in the United States. The added reactors increased Georgia Power generating capacity by about 7 percent, providing a large source of around the clock electricity as the state demand grows with population, industry, and data center development. The plant steady output offers a reliable baseload complement to weather dependent sources.
The expansion carried a heavy price. With costs exceeding 35 billion dollars, Vogtle ranks as the most expensive power project in US history, and the completion has fed into higher electricity rates for Georgia Power customers. State regulators continue to review how those costs are recovered. For the grid, the finished reactors deliver a durable increase in low emission capacity that will operate for decades. For customers, the project remains a reference point in debates over how to finance large scale nuclear construction.
Source: Nuclear News - https://news.yahoo.com/nuclear-news-plant-vogtles-unit-074312135.html