50 years of nuclear energy celebrated
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Plant Hatch entered commercial service in December 1975; Nuclear plants serve as bedrock of state’s energy mix with an average capacity factor of 94% over the last decade
For more than 50 years, nuclear energy has played a critical role in Georgia’s energy mix – currently providing approximately 25% of the state’s electricity each year from just two nuclear plants: Plant Hatch in Baxley and Plant Vogtle in Waynesboro. The plants sit at the center of the state’s energy mix, operating efficiently and reliably for customers around the clock with an average capacity factor – the time at which they operate at full power – of 94% over the last decade. More than 1.2 billion megawatt hours of net generation have been produced by Georgia nuclear units since 1975 – enough total electricity to power the entire United States for more than 100 consecutive days.
Georgia Power and the plants’ other co-owners – Oglethorpe Power Corporation, the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia and Dalton Utilities – are celebrating historic milestones this year for the state’s nuclear fleet. Georgia’s first nuclear power facility – Plant Hatch Unit 1 – entered commercial operation in December 1975 and marks 50 years of continuous operation this year. Additionally, the historic expansion of Plant Vogtle 3 and 4 marked the one-year anniversary of completion this past spring.
“Nuclear energy serves as the bedrock of our diverse generation fleet, ready and available when we need it, with a stable, predictable cost to operate and no air emissions,” said Kim Greene, chairman, president and CEO of Georgia Power. “We’re grateful that, well over 50 years ago, state leaders at that time recognized the value of this energy source and took steps to make sure that a growing Georgia had the energy it needed. Customers today directly benefit from that foresight. Now, as our state continues to be the economic powerhouse of the Southeast, work continues with the Georgia Public Service Commission and many other stakeholders to build on that legacy as we maintain, evolve and expand our diverse generation mix to serve customers today, and 50 years from today.”
That includes ongoing investments to modernize and maximize the company’s already high performing units, including the potential to extend operating licenses and extract additional megawatts. Southern Nuclear, which operates Plants Hatch and Vogtle on behalf of Georgia Power and the co-owners, is an industry leader in safety, innovation and performance. The company is known for innovation in nuclear energy at Georgia power plants, having consistently been awarded the most prestigious awards for developing industry-changing advancements, from digital modernization and AI application to being the first in the world to install enhanced Accident Tolerant Fuel (ATF) technologies at Plant Hatch in 2018 and the historic installation of higher-uranium-enriched fuel earlier this year at Vogtle Units 1 & 2, a significant achievement that will positively transform the fuel cycle for all existing and future nuclear reactor designs.
“Our workforce comes from a wide variety of backgrounds, including the nuclear Navy, with each individual dedicated to safely and efficiently operating these nuclear units to serve electric customers across Georgia,” said Pete Sena, chairman, president and CEO of Southern Nuclear. “The nuclear industry represents the best of American energy production, and I couldn’t be more proud to lead this team of highly skilled professionals across Southern Nuclear who work together to drive innovation and performance at our current plants, but also as we work together to grow the future of clean energy in this country.”
Southern Nuclear currently employs more than 2,600 people across Plants Hatch and Vogtle. Over the decades, the nuclear plants have provided high-quality, full-time jobs for an estimated 18,000 people.
Beyond providing jobs for thousands of people, Plants Hatch and Vogtle support vibrant and healthy local communities. Combined, the plants contribute more than $85 million in property taxes each year, which goes to support local schools, roads and other infrastructure. Plant teams also share a commitment to citizenship and community service with the plants supporting a variety of local charities and causes including STEM education efforts, the work of the United Way, multiple veterans groups and environmental/sustainability efforts.
A Bright Future for Georgia’s First Nuclear Facility
In 1975, the year Hatch Unit 1 entered service, Georgia’s population was around 5 million people and, 50 years later, that number has more than doubled with more than 11 million people now calling Georgia home. Plant Hatch has helped meet the electrical needs of that growth year after year, with its opening also marking a pivotal moment for Georgia Power’s commitment to developing a diverse, cleaner generation mix to serve customers. At the end of the 1960s, prior to the introduction of emission-free nuclear energy to Georgia Power’s generation mix, approximately 85 percent of the company’s electricity came from fossil-fuel sources including coal.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) granted Hatch Unit 1 an initial license to operate in 1974, with Unit 2 following in 1975. In 2002, Plant Hatch’s operating license was extended by the NRC for an additional 20 years. In 2023, Southern Nuclear began the process of seeking the NRC’s approval for subsequent license renewal of Hatch Units 1 and 2, with the formal application filed with the NRC in May 2025 (https://docs.publicnow.com/viewDoc?filename=98176%5CEXT%5CC8F33ACD7F55A9BA62EE89427D0871206CC3AE83_665EEE87FEF7AA08909D9F6F53B70CF40219FD1D.PDF). This renewal would extend the operating license of both units for an additional 20 years and allow the site to continue providing the state of Georgia with clean and reliable electricity around the clock.
The Largest Generator of Clean Energy in the U.S.
Named after World War II hero, and subsequent Southern Company CEO, Alvin Vogtle, Plant Vogtle’s original Units 1 and 2 opened as Georgia’s second nuclear facility in the late 1980s. With all four units now in operation, Plant Vogtle is the largest generator of clean energy in the nation, expected to produce more than 30 million megawatt hours of electricity each year. The Vogtle 3 and 4 nuclear expansion was the first newly constructed nuclear facility in more than 30 years, and was completed in May 2024 with the commercial operation of Unit 4.
Since entering commercial operation, the new Vogtle units have performed safely and reliably at or above industry average. In September, Unit 4 successfully completed its first refueling outage and, through strategic fuel planning, Southern Nuclear was able to delay Unit 4’s first planned refueling outage until the fall, allowing it to operate during the hottest months of the year when customers needed reliable power the most.
Congratulations to the many Appling Countians that have been a part of this major milestone.
