Two years after the completion of its historic expansion, Plant Vogtle near Waynesboro, Georgia, operates as the largest generator of clean energy in the United States, expected to produce more than 30 million megawatt-hours of electricity each year. The four-unit site, co-owned by Georgia Power, Oglethorpe Power Corporation, the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia, and Dalton Utilities, became the nation's largest nuclear facility when Units 3 and 4 entered commercial operation in 2023 and 2024.
Nuclear energy now supplies roughly 25 percent of Georgia's electricity from just two plants, Vogtle near Augusta and Hatch near Vidalia, which together have averaged a 94 percent capacity factor over the past decade. Since 1975, Georgia's nuclear units have produced more than 1.2 billion megawatt-hours of net generation.
The plants are significant economic engines for their regions. Operator Southern Nuclear employs more than 2,600 people across the two sites, and the facilities contribute more than 85 million dollars in combined property taxes annually to support local schools, roads, and infrastructure.
Vogtle's newest units have performed at or above industry average since startup, according to Georgia Power. Unit 4 completed its first refueling outage in the fall after strategic fuel planning allowed it to run through the peak summer months. The company and its partners are also pursuing license extensions and potential power uprates across the state's nuclear fleet as Georgia's population, now above 11 million, continues to drive electricity demand growth.
Source: Georgia Power -- https://www.georgiapower.com/news-hub/press-releases/50-years-clean-reliable-nuclear-energy.html