WAYNESBORO, Ga. (AP) — The utility that is building the first in a new generation of nuclear power plants in Georgia has been saying all along that the project is on time and on budget. Now that message is changing.
A state monitor says the $14 billion project at Plant Vogtle (VOH'-gohl) could cost hundreds of millions of dollars more than expected and it's more than a year behind.
Now executives with Southern Co. say that it's more important to ensure quality construction for a plant that could produce power for decades than hitting the previous targets.
A lot is riding on the project. Industry experts say it's a test for whether the nuclear industry can build new plants without the same delays and soaring costs that happened when the first generation of plants was built decades ago.
