Marietta City Council approved $405 million in investment over a 40-year period for an expansion of Plant Vogtle, near the Georgia and South Carolina border, which will allow the city to have cleaner energy and base power for decades to come.

In 2016 and 2017, Westinghouse will build two nuclear reactors, in addition to the two already in use.  The new reactors are expected to cost $14.2 billion.

Because Marietta has its own utilities--Marietta Power and Water--which were created over 100 years ago, the city has one of the lowest millage rates in the Metro Atlanta area.

Marietta is able to invest in the two new reactors because it is a member of a statewide electrical organization that invested in the two original reactors, and the city can purchase 65 megawatts of  power each year that will be generated by the new reactors. 

Marietta Power will primarily sell the new power to its customers. However, because Marietta does not need the power until 2036, the city will sell power it acquires from 2016-2036 to energy companies that need it. This will cut the cost of Marietta's investment roughly in half, to $200 million.

"Nuclear power is great for the environment," Marietta Power General Manager Bob Lewis said. "It doesn't contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, which is a major issue."

Marietta Power customers will not pay anything until the new power is serving Marietta customers' needs.

For more information, call Marietta Power at 770-794-5150.