More than a dozen members of the Georgia General Assembly, in a Sept. 19 letter to the owners of the Vogtle nuclear plant, expressed concerns over the “ever-escalating cost” of the project and urged them to establish a cost cap to protect electric ratepayers from cost overruns. The lawmakers noted that, last month Georgia Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company, announced a $2.3 billion cost increase, just eight months after taking over the project construction. Although, Southern Company said it will absorb Georgia Power’s share of the costs, the letter said it would disproportionately burden customers of electric cooperatives and city utilities. Georgia Power, which has a 45.7 percent stake, took over as the main contractor, following bankruptcy of reactor designer Westinghouse Electric, to continue the project despite cost overruns and delays. Oglethorpe Power Corporation, Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia, and Dalton Utilities own 30 percent, 22.7 percent, and 1.6 percent, respectively, in the plant.