Georgia nuclear plant’s cost now forecast to top $30 billion

ATLANTA (AP) — A nuclear power plant being built in Georgia is now projected to cost its owners more than $30 billion.

A financial report from one of the owners on Friday pushed the cost of Plant Vogtle near Augusta to a forecast cost of $30.34 billion.

Vogtle is the only nuclear plant under construction in the United States, and its costs could deter other utilities from building such plants, even though they generate electricity without releasing climate-changing carbon emissions.

The increase in the budget by co-owner Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia wasn’t a surprise. Lead owner Georgia Power Co. announced delays and $920 million in overruns on March 3.