Southern Nuclear
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Nuclear power |
| Headquarters | Birmingham , United States |
Area served | Alabama, Georgia |
| Products | Nuclear power generation |
| Parent | Southern Company |
| Website | www |
Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc., headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, manages seven nuclear reactors on behalf of Alabama Power and Georgia Power. These facilities include the Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Generating Station near Dothan, Alabama; the Edwin I. Hatch Nuclear Power Plant close to Baxley, Georgia; and the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant situated near Waynesboro, Georgia. The company also holds the license for two additional nuclear units under development at Plant Vogtle, representing the first new nuclear construction projects in the United States in over three decades.
The company’s nuclear fleet achieved an average capacity factor of 93.2% over a three-year span, outperforming the national average of 91.2% recorded between 2013 and 2015.
Plant Farley
Plant Farley is located on a 1,850-acre property adjacent to the Chattahoochee River near Dothan, Alabama. Construction commenced in 1970 with Unit 1 beginning commercial operations in December 1977 and Unit 2 following in July 1981. The project’s total expenditure was approximately $1.57 billion.
Both units produce 900 megawatts each, combining for a total output of 1,800 MW. They utilize Westinghouse pressurized water reactors housed within containment structures made of reinforced concrete and carbon steel that enclose the reactor and related nuclear equipment.
Plant Hatch
Situated on a 2,224-acre site along Georgia’s largest river, the Altamaha, near Baxley, Georgia, Plant Hatch is jointly owned by Georgia Power (50.1%), Oglethorpe Power Corporation (30%), Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia (17.7%), and Dalton Utilities (2.2%).
The plant’s construction began in 1968. Unit 1 was commissioned in December 1975 and Unit 2 followed in September 1979. Each unit has a rated capacity of 924 megawatts, summing to a total of 1,848 MW. Both reactors are boiling water types supplied by General Electric Company.
Plant Vogtle
Units 1 and 2 at Plant Vogtle started commercial operation in May 1987 and May 1989 respectively, with each unit generating 1,215 megawatts for an aggregate capacity of 2,430 MW. The facility operates Westinghouse pressurized water reactors paired with turbines and generators manufactured by General Electric.
Southern Nuclear is overseeing the licensing process and construction activities for Vogtle Units 3 and 4 near Augusta, Georgia, which are among the first new nuclear units built in the U.S. in more than thirty years. Although progress was delayed due to Westinghouse’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, Unit 3 was brought online on July 31, 2023, while Unit 4 is anticipated to enter service by April 29, 2024.