Fifty years ago, in 1975, the leadership and shareholders of Southern Company got a great Christmas present, the opening of Plant Hatch outside Baxley, Georgia. Construction had begun in 1968 and the completion and opening marked a new era for Georgia and Southern Company. The first two reactors at Plant Vogtle outside Waynesboro would follow more than a decade later – though few probably realized it would be more than 30 years before the next reactors were built in the state. The completion of the new reactors at Vogtle amount to approximately 25 percent of the state’s electricity being derived from nuclear power.
“Nuclear energy serves as the bedrock of our diverse generation fleet, ready and available when we need it, with a stable, predictable cost to operate and no air emissions,” said Kim Greene, chairman, president and CEO of Georgia Power. “We’re grateful that, well over 50 years ago, state leaders at that time recognized the value of this energy source and took steps to make sure that a growing Georgia had the energy it needed. Customers today directly benefit from that foresight.”
The amount of electricity the reactors provide is incredible. Since 1975, Georgia’s nuclear units have produced 1.2 billion megawatt hours of net generation – enough power for the entire country for more than three months. With its two reactors, Plant Hatch has an output of more than 1,800 megawatts. For comparison, Plant Scherer, located outside Macon and the most powerful coal plant in North America, only has a capacity of 935 megawatts.
“Now, as our state continues to be the economic powerhouse of the Southeast, work continues with the Georgia Public Service Commission and many other stakeholders to build on that legacy as we maintain, evolve and expand our diverse generation mix to serve customers today, and 50 years from today,” said Greene.
Besides the critical power these plants provide, even more so in the electricity hungry data center world, these plants provide jobs to more than 2,600 people across Hatch and Vogtle. Some 18,000 people have worked at the two plants over their lifetimes so far. The plants also have contributed more than $85 million in property taxes each year, supporting local schools, roads and infrastructure in these rural communities that may otherwise have difficulty with these types of critical funding.
“Our workforce comes from a wide variety of backgrounds, including the nuclear Navy, with each individual dedicated to safely and efficiently operating these nuclear units to serve electric customers across Georgia,” said Pete Sena, chairman, president and CEO of Southern Nuclear. “The nuclear industry represents the best of American energy production, and I couldn’t be more proud to lead this team of highly skilled professionals across Southern Nuclear who work together to drive innovation and performance at our current plants, but also as we work together to grow the future of clean energy in this country.”
