The reactors will not only provide clean and reliable power to millions of homes and businesses in the Southeast but will also help to rebuild our nation’s nuclear workforce and future supply chain.
May 30, 2023
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Georgia Power Company, a subsidiary of Southern Company, yesterday announced that Vogtle Unit 3 at Plant Vogtle has reached full generating capacity and could achieve commercial operation by the end of June. Unit 4 is projected to enter service in late 2023 or early 2024.
Plant Vogtle is poised to become the largest clean energy generator in the United States. The reactors will not only provide clean and reliable power to millions of homes and businesses in the Southeast, generating 17,200,000 MWh annually, but will also help to rebuild our nation’s nuclear workforce and future supply chain.
“We respect the perseverance and grit of Southern Nuclear to get this plant completed. It makes a nuclear renaissance possible.”
Nuclear energy is essential to achieving the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and net zero emissions economy by no later than 2050. Plant Vogtle is an example of how the DOE Loan Programs Office (LPO) is supporting energy infrastructure projects that promote economic growth and strengthen our energy and national security.
The DOE loan guarantees to Georgia Power Company have financed the construction of Units 3 and 4 at the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant. These two 1,100 megawatt Westinghouse AP1000® nuclear reactors represent the first U.S. deployment of this innovative technology in the United States. These are the only commercial nuclear reactors under construction in the United States today; when completed, they will be the first new commercial nuclear reactors constructed in the United States in 30 years.
For information on how LPO could support your advanced nuclear energy project and to learn about LPO's process before formally applying, request a no-fee, no-commitment Pre-Application Consultation. During the consultation, LPO will work with you to determine whether the project is eligible for a loan or loan guarantee.
Jigar Shah
Former Director, Loan Programs Office
Jigar Shah served as Director of the Loan Programs Office (LPO) at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) from March 2021 to January 2025. He led and directed LPO’s loan authority to support deployment of innovative clean energy, advanced transportation, and Tribal energy projects in the United States. Prior, Shah was co-founder and President at Generate Capital, where he focused on helping entrepreneurs accelerate decarbonization solutions through the use of low-cost infrastructure-as-a service financing. Prior to Generate Capital, Shah founded SunEdison, a company that pioneered “pay as you save” solar financing. After SunEdison, Shah served as the founding CEO of the Carbon War Room, a global non-profit founded by Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Unite to help entrepreneurs address climate change.
Shah was also featured in TIME's list of the "100 Most Influential People" in 2024.
Originally from Illinois, Shah holds a B.S. from the University of Illinois-UC and an MBA from the University of Maryland College Park.