nuclear-news

Aging nuclear power plant too costly to clean up

Potential for another meltdown? Nuclear Reaction 29 Dec 09 Debate over the future of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant has developed into a complex game of chicken between executives with Entergy Nuclear Vermont and Democratic leaders of the state Legislature. Entergy, which has owned the Vernon facility since 2002, says if it does not win approval for its plan to sell Vermont Yankee and five other nuclear power plants to a spin-off company called Enexus, it will likely close the Vermont nuclear plant as scheduled in 2012.

Democratic lawmakers, meanwhile, say if the Enexus spin-off deal – which they believe is to shield the parent company Entergy from responsibility for cleaning up the site – is approved, it will make it difficult for them to vote in 2010 to allow Vermont Yankee to operate for an additional 20 years.

All of which – along with the lack of a new power contract between Vermont Yankee and the state’s utilities for power beyond 2012 – leaves the future of the Vernon facility in doubt

Nuclear News: Potential for another meltdown? – Nuclear Reaction – A Greenpeace blog about nuclear power

December 29, 2009 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive