Arlington, VA.;  February 9, 2012 — The Nuclear Regulatory Commission voted 4-1 today to approve plans for two new 1,100-megawatt units at the Alvin W. Vogtle Nuclear Plant, located in eastern Georgia, near the South Carolina border.

Oglethorpe Power Corporation, a Tucker, Ga.-based power supply cooperative, will own 30 percent of the two units, just as it has a 30 percent stake in two existing units at Vogtle with a combined 2,300 megawatts of capacity.

 “It’s about time!” said NRECA CEO Glenn English. “It’s been 30 years since the Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved a license for new reactors, which makes this decision historic.  We are very pleased our members have gotten the go-ahead for a plant that can provide reliable, safe and affordable electricity.”

NRECA supports federal policies that will ensure existing nuclear generating plants will continue to provide clean power and allow for the appropriate expansion of and investment in the next generation of new nuclear power plants.

“We are pleased with the NRC's approval of the combined operating and construction licenses for Vogtle Units 3 and 4 and look forward to the onset of full construction in the very near future,” said Greg Jones, director, public relations, Oglethorpe Power. 

“When these two units begin operating in 2016 and 2017, they will become an integral part of the diversified power generation portfolio from which we serve our member EMCs,” Jones said.

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association is the national service organization that represents the nation’s more than 900 private, not-for-profit, consumer-owned electric cooperatives, which provide service to 42 million people in 47 states.