ATLANTA — The Southern Co. makes billion-dollar decisions that affect millions of people in Georgia, yet it has attracted little political scrutiny — until now.
Leaders of the Atlanta Tea Party are challenging Southern Co. subsidiary Georgia Power over the monopoly’s reluctance to increase its use of solar power, the ballooning costs of building a new nuclear power plant and even its legal right to monopoly status.
The group’s action in Georgia seems relatively rare among the loosely linked tea party organizations nationally.
The tea party groups are also targeting Georgia Power over the rising cost to build two new nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle. The utility’s share of the project was supposed to cost $6.1 billion, but Georgia Power is seeking permission to raise its budget to $6.85 billion — and cautioned that costs may still increase.
Dooley’s group is particularly peeved that Georgia lawmakers are allowing the utility to charge its customers for the project’s finance costs before it produces power. This year, tea party members supported legislation from Rep. Jeff Chapman, R-Brunswick, that would trim the utility’s profits if it goes over budget building the plant. Chapman’s bill did not pass, though it could be considered next year.
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