A.G. Gancarski
From 6.5% to 13% with the flip of a switch.
That’s the ratio by which Jacksonville’s public utility JEA doubled its nuclear input to its Northeast Florida power grid.
And it happened via a much-derided and long-delayed project that is finally coming online.
“JEA customers are now receiving carbon-free nuclear energy from Plant Vogtle’s Units 3 and 4 to help power our community. This marks a big step for nuclear energy in our country and a key milestone for JEA as we work toward our clean energy goals,” said JEA Interim Managing Director and CEO Vickie Cavey. “We will continue to diversify our portfolio to provide sustainable and reliable energy.”
Georgia Power, a Peach State utility consortium Jacksonville’s power company partnered with for this new input, is also predictably celebratory.
“It’s an exciting time to be a Georgian as our state continues to grow and thrive, with new demand for more clean energy each year,” said Kim Greene, CEO of Georgia Power. “The new Vogtle units are a key piece of our strategy to meet the energy needs of our customers not only tomorrow but 20 years from now.”
“As we mark the completion of the Vogtle 3 & 4 expansion, we’re grateful for the leadership and foresight of the Georgia PSC, as well as the steadfast dedication from all of the project’s co-owners. I’m also so proud of the teams who have worked tirelessly to deliver the first newly constructed nuclear units in the U.S. in more than 30 years — representing a long-term investment that will benefit our customers and the state of Georgia for decades to come.”
The city committed to buying power from Vogtle in 2008. However, the relationship between customer and vendor wasn’t always smooth, as costs exceeded estimates. Delays piled up, and the utility’s credit rating suffered.
A few years back, when the controversial and now convicted former CEO Aaron Zahn was in control, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission dismissed JEA’s request to intervene in an ongoing dispute with the Municipal Electrical Authority of Georgia over Plant Vogtle construction costs.
Zahn claimed the move sent “a message that the ratepayers in Florida don’t matter.” It showed “a preferred support for corporate interests over customer concerns.”
Yet even then, the time frame for completion was more optimistic than ultimately happened. Expectations were a done date of November 2022 for Unit 4.
3 comments
MH/Duuuval
April 29, 2024 at 6:07 pm
“Carbon-free” but beyond this positive is the end product, nuclear waste, which no one wants in their backyard. This is why solar, wind, and other renewables must continue to get attention.
This is not progress
April 30, 2024 at 6:40 pm
This is so wrong and woefully outdated. I cannot believe we are still facing the threat of nuclear waste in the 21st century. Does anyone actually trust these people to manage this appropriately? Consider the security threats alone–nuclear sites are always a target, and risk ratings in surrounding communities go up and increase the cost of living and insurance. Even a small accident would be of catastrophic proportions. The lobby against solar power in Florida (and the US) is one of the dumbest things about this state and that’s really saying something. Obama killed clean coal which was supposed to be a stop gap on the way to increased renewables usage. Too much political resistance to reclaimables (garbage as fuel, like in LA) and other renewable resources by politicians who can’t figure out how to coopt it. Prepare for your rates (and your risk) to go up as they keep doing. We are supposed to say thank you and applaud.
My Take
May 5, 2024 at 9:49 pm
How many warship power reactors are sucessfully–routinely–made in the US every decade?
Why is completing a civilian one so rare?
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