\n\n \nYou may remember a controversial bill the Georgia Legislature\napproved in 2009,\n\nSB 31, the Nuclear Construction Work in Progress\n(CWIP) bill<\/a>, which forces Georgia Power ratepayers to pay the\nfinancing costs during construction, rather than over the life of\nthe plant. Large users of electricity are exempt from the charge,\nbut residential and mom and pop businesses have been paying for two\nyears.\n<\/p>\n \nEven after that sweetheart deal, the Public Service Commissioners\nscrapped their staff\n\nproposal<\/a> to stop the company from profiting on\ncost overruns for the project after they top $300 million.\n<\/p>\n \nThe most recent reports from the independent monitor established by\nthe PSC says\n<\/blockquote>\n \nPutting the profit issue aside for the moment, if the Georgia PSC\never decided to disapprove cost overruns, Georgia Power could take a\npage from the Mississippi Power playbook and just get the\nLegislature to let them issue bonds to pay for the work.\n<\/p>\n \n\nHB 267<\/a> by freshman Rep. Jeff Chapman excludes the collection of any\nprofits on cost overruns beyond the\n\n$6.4 billion the Public Service Commission has approved<\/a>.\nThe bill is co-sponsored by Avondale\nEstates Democrat Karla Drenner, who is a member of the Utilities\nCommittee, to which the bill was assigned. Passage of this bill\nwould provide an incentive for Georgia Power to keep expenses down\nat Vogtle, something that SB 31 failed to do.\n<\/p>\n![](\"\/blog\/images\/6a0120a58214e4970b017c37534720970b-pi.jpg\")
<\/a>\nGeorgia Power’s expansion at Plant Vogtle will bring us power that\nis dangerous, expensive and unnecessary.\n<\/p>\n\nthat the project is months behind and as of December,\n$88 million over budget. Georgia Power gets to earn 11.15% return on\nall expenses approved by the PSC, so the more they have to spend,\nthe more they get to make and the more ratepayers get to pay!\n<\/p>\n