Nuclear Power vs. Natural Gas

By MATTHEW L. WALD

Southern CompanyAn artist’s rendering of Plant Vogtle in Waynesboro, Ga., with the two nuclear reactors to be added in the foreground.

When critics say nuclear power is risky, they often mean the risk of an accident. But people in the nuclear industry say that the bigger threat is natural gas.

To look like a smart move, the $14 billion nuclear projectundertaken by the Southern Company and its partners must meet several challenges, including actually completing the job for that figure, always a question in nuclear construction.