The Georgia Public Service Commission on Tuesday voted 5-0 to approve Georgia power’s spending on Plant Vogtle units 3 and 4 for the period from July to December of 2011.

The construction costs of the nuclear plant in eastern Georgia are monitored by the PSC, and are voted on every six months.

Georgia Watch, a consumer advocacy group, is concerned that Georgia Power customers may be forced to shoulder hundreds of millions of dollars in cost overruns for the project. They want the PSC to adopt a risk sharing mechanism to protect consumers.

PSC Commissioners say they are making sure that the company is using money prudently, and such a mechanism is unnecessary.

Georgia Power customers pay a percentage of their monthly bill for the nuclear construction project.

Tags: Georgia Power, Public Service Commission, Plant Vogtle, Georgia Watch, nuclear plant construction costs