In the Vermont senate today, a bill came for consideration: whether or not to extend the license for Vermont Yankee (VY), an old-school nuclear power plant put into service in 1972. Entergy, the Louisiana company that owns VT Yankee and 10 other nuke plants in the country, wants to extend the license for another 20 years, past its 40-year design life.
Vermont, however, is the only state in the country whose legislature has the power to prevent the Public Service Board from issuing a Certificate of Public Good. In essence, the vote today should mean the orderly shutdown, on schedule, of the aging power plant. This is, of course, as it should be.
The vote in the Vermont Senate today sends a clear message to Entergy, and whatever other shell corporations they had waiting to incorporate in order to insulate themselves from financial liability for the plant, that we in Vermont are ready to move onto the next thing. Not sure what that next thing will be; but by stating unequivocally that it nuclear will not be part of our energy mix (at least this particular nuclear power plant, it sets the wheels in motion for real progress in this state to develop that next thing.
We have many great cutting-edge companies in this state developing "alternative" energy solutions. With the loss of VY, the stage is set for them to really take off, as we undertake transitioning away from nuclear power (estimated by some to represent one third of our total electric consumption). Additionally, closing the plant will make up to 600 (200 from Vermont) highly trained engineers available to put their skills to work moving the state, and indeed country, forward.
In any case, I'm sorry for the short diary, but wanted to spread the news. It is a great day.