Vogtle Unit 1 Being Brought Back Online Safely; Operators and Systems Respond as Trained, Designed

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., April 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Unit 1 of the Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant will be brought back online after Southern Nuclear plant operators safely and effectively responded to an issue with a water pump and safely took the unit offline. The unit was taken offline April 14 at approximately 1:30 p.m. ET in accordance with nuclear procedures and processes.

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All Plant Vogtle safety systems operated as designed, and operators responded as they are trained in a professional and safe manner. Southern Nuclear is investigating the issue, and the unit is currently safe, stable and secure.  

"The Vogtle team did an outstanding job safely taking the unit offline in a secure and efficient manner," said Plant Vogtle Site Vice President Tom Tynan. "We are looking into the event and expect to be back at full power when all restart criteria are met. Throughout the issue, nuclear and personal safety is always our number one priority."

Plant Vogtle's Unit 2 continues to produce electricity safely and reliably at 100 percent power.

About Southern Nuclear:

Southern Nuclear, a subsidiary of Southern Company, is one of the nation's leading nuclear energy facility operators. Producing safe, reliable and environmentally friendly nuclear energy, Southern Nuclear operates a total of six units in Alabama and Georgia at the Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant near Dothan, Ala.; the Edwin I. Hatch Nuclear Plant near Baxley, Ga., and the Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant near Waynesboro, Ga. Southern Nuclear is the proud licensee of two new nuclear units currently under construction at Plant Vogtle, which will be the first nuclear units constructed in the United States in more than 30 years. Southern Nuclear employs more than 3,500 skilled and dedicated professionals who are committed each day to nuclear and personal safety and the health and safety of the public. The company's headquarters is based in Birmingham, Ala. Twitter: @SouthernNuclear.

About Southern Company:

With 4.4 million customers and more than 42,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier energy company serving the Southeast. A leading U.S. producer of electricity, Southern Company owns electric utilities in four states and a growing competitive generation company, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and retail electric prices that are below the national average. Southern Company was named the World's Most Admired Electric and Gas Utility by Fortune magazine in 2011, and is consistently listed among the top U.S. electric service providers in customer satisfaction by the American Customer Satisfaction Index. Visit our website at www.southerncompany.com.

SOURCE Southern Company