Vibrations in cooling system mean new Georgia nuclear reactor will again be delayed

By JEFF AMY
Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Power Co. says vibrations found in a cooling system of its second new nuclear reactor will delay when the unit begins generating power. The subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Co. said Thursday that Plant Vogtle’s Unit 4 now will not begin operating until sometime between April 1 and June 30. Georgia Power says the problem has been fixed but too much testing remains to make the previous target of March 30. The company says it’s likely to lose $30 million in profit for each month beyond March that Unit 4 isn’t running. When it comes online at the site near Augusta, Unit 4 will join Unit 3, which began commercial operations last summer, and two older reactors.