Vogtle Nuclear Project: Cost Overruns and Lessons for US Energy Policy

Wed, 06 May 2026 15:50:00 +0200

Vogtle Units 3 and 4 in Waynesboro, Georgia, intended to mark a revival of US nuclear energy, have become a case study in mismanagement and cost overruns. Approved in 2009 at an initial projected cost of $14 billion, the project was expected to be operational by 2016 and 2017. Instead, Units 3 and 4 only began commercial operation in 2023 and 2024, with total costs exceeding $36.8 billion, making Vogtle the most expensive power plant ever built. The financial burden has largely fallen on Georgia ratepayers, who were forced to pay upfront through legislation allowing utilities to collect construction costs before generating power. Residential electricity rates have already increased by approximately 24%, with further hikes anticipated. The project suffered from several critical missteps: construction began without a complete reactor design, Westinghouse’s bankruptcy in 2017, inexperienced labor, high attrition rates, and repeated component failures. Vogtle's overruns highlight the limit