Timeline - Vogtle Units 3 & 4

Southern Company became a founding member of the NuStart Energy Consortium.

Southern Company submitted its Nuclear Power 2010 proposal to the Department of Energy (DOE). The proposal requested DOE consider Southern Nuclear in new nuclear plant licensing projects co-funded by DOE.

Southern Nuclear sent a notice of intent letter to the NRC stating its intent to submit an application for an Early Site Permit for a new nuclear plant. At that time, the company said that no site had been selected for new nuclear generation.

Southern Nuclear notified the NRC of a potential site selection for its ESP application. That site was Plant Vogtle.

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 was signed into law.

Southern Nuclear announced, on behalf of the Plant Vogtle co-owners, that it had officially informed the NRC that it had selected the Plant Vogtle site to evaluate for possible new nuclear generation.

Southern Nuclear announced its intent to file an ESP or pre COL application in the summer of 2006.

Southern Nuclear selects Westinghouse AP1000 technology for new units at the Plant Vogtle site.

Southern Nuclear filed an Early Site Permit (ESP) for new units at the Plant Vogtle site.

A group of organizations filed a petition to intervene in the ESP for Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4. The groups are Atlanta Womens Action for New Direction (WAND), Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League (BREDL), Center for a Sustainable Coast, Savannah Riverkeeper and Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE).

The NRC's Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB) announced that it will allow a group of organizations to intervene in the ESP process for new units at Plant Vogtle. This announcement came following a pre-hearing in February where the ASLB reviewed information presented by the intervenors.

Southern Nuclear filed a Combined Construction and Operating License (COL) application with the NRC for new units at the Vogtle site.

Georgia Power entered into an Engineering, Procurement and Construction contract with the Westinghouse-Shaw consortium to construct two Westinghouse AP1000 units at the site. This agreement was signed on April 8, 2008.

Georgia Power submitted a nuclear self-build option to the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) to meet demand in the 2016-2017 timeframe. The company received no other bids in response to its 2016-2017 baseload capacity request for proposals. The Georgia PSC rules require market bids to be compared with self-build proposals, but no market bids were received.

Southern Nuclear was notified that five petitioners filed a petition to intervene in the COL application that the company filed for new units at Plant Vogtle. The groups are Atlanta Womens Action for New Direction (WAND), Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League (BREDL), Center for a Sustainable Coast, Savannah Riverkeeper and Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE).

Georgia Power received certification from the Georgia Public Service Commission to build new units at the site.

Southern Nuclear sent a notice of intent letter to the NRC stating its intent to submit an application for an Early Site Permit for a new nuclear plant. At that time, the company said that no site had been selected for new nuclear generation.

The NRC's ASLB held its hearings to review contentions on the Plant Vogtle ESP.

Georgia Power provided the Westinghouse-Shaw consortium full notice to proceed on Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4. Shaw and Westinghouse began mobilizing at the plant site and performing activities to support construction.

Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue signed into law Senate Bill 31, which allows Georgia Power to recover financing costs during the construction of nuclear units while they're being built, plus reducing the plant's costs to customers.

Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4 were named NuStart's reference plant for AP1000 technology.

Southern Nuclear cleared another hurdle in the licensing process for new units at Plant Vogtle when the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Atomic Safety and Licensing Board issued its ruling on contentions related to the Early Site Permit (ESP) application. The ASLB ruled in favor of Southern Nuclear and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff in all cases.

Southern Nuclear begins training Operations instructors for Vogtle Units 3 and 4.

Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4 received an ESP from the NRC. The Vogtle ESP is the first in the indusry to reference a specific technology and to come with a Limited Work Authorization (LWA) which allows limited safety-related construction at the site prior to receiving the COL.

Excavation of the area where the new units are planned began at the plant site.

President Obama and DOE Secretary Steven Chu announce the award of conditional loan guarantees for Vogtle Units 3 and 4. The DOE loan guarantees are expected to save Georgia Power's customers millions in interest costs annually over the expected life of any guaranteed borrowing.

Safety-related construction began with the first placement of backfill soil into the area excavated for Unit 3.

Southern Company and the Department of Energy announce that final terms and conditions have been reached regarding the loan guarantees for the new Vogtle units.

Expect to receive approval of Combined Operating License (COL) from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

First Operating license class begins.

Fuel is loaded for new units.

Unit 3 begins commercial operation.

Unit 4 begins commercial operation.