Georgia Power finalized a new service agreement with Toshiba business unit Westinghouse for the Vogtle nuclear expansion.

Previously, Westinghouse, the developer of the AP1000 nuclear technology being used by the new units, served as the primary contractor with oversight and responsibility for all construction activities. Under the new agreement, approved by the U.S. Department of Energy on July 27, Southern Nuclear will oversee construction activities at the site.

Vogtle Unit 1 nuclear plant.The scope of the service agreement includes engineering, procurement and licensing support from Westinghouse, as well as access to Westinghouse intellectual property needed for the project.

Georgia Power also continues work with the project's co-owners (Oglethorpe Power, MEAG Power and Dalton Utilities) to complete a full-scale schedule and cost-to-complete analysis of the project.

In March, Westinghouse filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, citing difficulties with its U.S. nuclear program.

In late July, South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. and Santee Cooper agreed to accept a $2.168 billion payment from Toshiba to satisfy the obligations of Westinghouse under the engineering, procurement, and construction contract for two new nuclear units at the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station in Jenkinsville, SC.

Under the agreement, Toshiba will make payments in a series of installments over a period beginning in October 2017 and ending in September 2022.

Southern Co's nuclear business unit is building two 1,117 MW AP1000 units at its Vogtle station in Georgia. The units, numbered 3 and 4, were the first in the U.S. to be licensed for the Westinghouse reactor technology.

SCE&G and Santee Cooper, a state-owned utility in South Carolina, are building two 1,117-megawatt nuclear electric-generating units at V.C. Summer Nuclear Station in Fairfield County, S.C., where V.C. Summer Unit 1 has been in commercial operation for more than 30 years.