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Thomson-Vogtle Transmission Line

Construction is underway on two new nuclear operating units at Plant Vogtle, near Augusta, Ga. Building the two new nuclear units will help meet the needs of Georgia Power customers in 2019 and beyond. The two new units are scheduled to be in service in 2019 and 2020.

Building for the Future

The Thomson-Vogtle 500 kV transmission line is being built to add the necessary transmission infrastructure to support the two new nuclear units. The line route is 55 miles long and begins at Plant Vogtle in Waynesboro, Ga. (Burke County) and ends at the Thomson Primary substation, southeast of Thomson, Ga. (McDuffie County). The route runs through Burke, Jefferson, Warren and McDuffie counties and existing transmission line corridors were utilized over approximately 13 miles of the line route.

The transmission line will be in service by 2018 to support the new Vogtle units, which will continue to provide our customers with reliable service for many years to come.

Timeline for Transmission Line Construction

  • Final line route located: April 19, 2010
  • Public information meetings: December 2–14, 2010
  • Surveying: January 2011–December 2011
  • Land acquisition: August 2011–July 2013
  • Right-of-way clearing: February 2013–September 2015
  • Line construction: January 2014–December 2017
  • Line in service: 2018

Fact Sheet

In selecting the line route, a location committee comprised of Georgia Power employees representing various functions in the company considered many factors including, but not limited to:

  • Potential impact to the community.
  • Existing land uses in the geographic area where the line route is located.
  • Existing environmental conditions in the area.
  • Existing corridors.
  • Engineering practices and costs related to the construction, operation and maintenance of the transmission line.
  • Accessibility.
  • System reliability.
  • Existing transmission line corridors were utilized over approximately 13 miles of the line route.
  • The transmission line will be in service by 2018.
  • The electric bills of area residents and other ratepayers will not immediately increase as a result of this project.
  • These costs are a part of Georgia Power's normal capital improvement budget and are eventually added into the overall rate base.
  • This project will not be included in the rate base until it actually goes into service. Even then, rates will only change when the Georgia Public Service Commission approves a base rate case.
  • Georgia Power Transmission Construction may build up to 10 miles of the line out from the plant.
  • The bulk of the line will be constructed by a line construction contractor.
  • We will use a competitive bid process to select the company.

How Electricity is Made

Did You Know?

Across the state, Georgia Power owns a network of 18 generating plants and 19 hydro dams.