Our people and our country are certainly going to need a lot more sources of energy for our industries and our homes in the years ahead. The generation of more electricity by nuclear-powered plants is undoubtedly going to be a big part of the desirable solutions.
So it is of great interest that the private Southern Co. — not a government agency — wants to build two non-polluting nuclear reactor electricity-generating units in Georgia, south of Augusta, near the Savannah River border with South Carolina. The project would provide thousands of construction jobs and 800 permanent jobs, and provide more reliable electric power.
The only “catch” is that the company wants the federal government to provide about $8 billion in federal loan guarantees to finance the plant. The Obama administration is reported to favor that.
More nuclear power is certainly desirable to meet current and growing needs. It is good that a private company is taking an initiative to generate more electricity. But it would be much better if the project could be financed on its own merits, without having government involved in it.