Ga. Power backers retreat to count votes
Tuesday, February 10th, 2009Senate Bill 31 — to allow Georgia Power to charge Georgians upfront for the construction cost of two planned nuclear reactors — was expected to come up for a floor vote today. But it didn’t even make it onto the debate schedule. Why was this?
Plant Vogtle
Word is, because the votes aren’t there — which would mean Sen. Don. Balfour, R-Snellville, the powerful Senate Rules chairman, hasn’t yet managed to persuade several of his fellow Republicans to support his mucho controversial bill.
Some of the hold-outs, I was told, include Pres. Pro Tem Tommie Williams, R-Lyons, and Sen. Dan Weber, R-Dunwoody, a usually conscientious pol who isn’t afraid to break party ranks. So I asked Weber.
“I’ll probably support the bill,” he told me. “My concern is that Georgia is facing a substantial shortfall in [electrical] generating capacity.”
Fair enough, but Georgia Power has said it would build the two nukes even if the bill doesn’t pass.
