BUCHANAN, NY—The Public Service Commission is telling Con Ed to make preparations for a possible closure of the Indian Point Energy Center in Buchanan.
On Tuesday, the Commission began proceedings to develop a contingency plan in the event of a closing of Indian Point, the nuclear power plant located in Westchester County, approximately 30 miles north of Manhattan.
The Commission directed Con Ed to work with the New York Power Authority to develop and file a contingency plan to address the needs that would arise in the event the Indian Point units shut down.
Entergy, the company that runs Indian Point, is currently in the middle of licensing renewal hearings that are scheduled to reconvene Dec. 10-14. The original 40-year operating licenses for Indian Point Units 2 and 3 are due to expire on Sept. 28, 2013 and Dec. 12, 2015.
Entergy and its employees continuously demonstrate the plants are safely operated, and is committed to safely operating this important facility for many more years to come," Jerry Nappi, an Entergy spokesman, told Reuters in an email.
Con Ed told Reuters in the same article that it will comply with the Commission’s wishes.
The directive was given as part of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Energy Highway Blueprint issued by the Energy Highway Task Force in October. The goal of the Highway Blueprint is to investigate ways to better deliver and meet the energy needs of downstate New York.
Cuomo has also stated in the past that he wishes to shut down the nuclear power facility.
“A growing, vibrant economy requires an energy production and delivery system that provides the stable foundation companies need to invest in their facilities and workforce, to expand operations and hire new workers,” said Commission Chairman Garry Brown. “In addition to strengthening the economy, the Energy Highway will enhance New York State’s investment in clean energy production.”
Indian Point's two operating nuclear powerplants generate roughly 2,000 megawatts of electricity for homes, business and public facilities in New York City and Westchester County.
Cuomo is not thinking....what source of energy does he want to use to light his house?
Closing Indian Point has been under study for decades. The plant is always found to be terrific, and the arguments against it are shown to be inane. Why would God bless Andrew Coumo with the truth? Is he a Richard Feynman or Stephen Weingberg? He is more a Cotton Mather.
"Offiially" approved in 2002 Harry Reid has stopped it through fear sales to assure his place in the hierarchy of DC incompetence. "Waste" can be re processed and recycled and reused at a safer rate too. Do not forget Cuomo 1st. ran LI plant for 8 minuets following his re-election to hand 45 million to unions as payoff for support. Where was that waste shipped to.....
Yucca is not a viable solution. Plus the people of Nevada do not want to be the nuclear dumping ground of the country. They don't even have a nuclear plant in the state. Which is why they keep electing Harry Reid to represent them. As is their right. No reactor in this country uses the mixed oxide fuel from reprocessing. Reprocessing still requires a geologic repository. And. by the way Yucca would have only held what is currently in spent fuel pools in reactors across the country. It would have taken 20 years to ship it all there and then we would be back at square one, looking for another high level radio active waste dump in somebody's back yard.
The hardline environmentalists oppose more oil drilling, more refineries, and more exploitation of massive natural gas resources. They want renewables, and say how great Germany is doing on wind energy. Renewables are a nice help, a nice supplement, but even in Germany, may make up possibly 40% of the electric grid (optimistically speaking) by 2030. Different studies give different percentages. Renewables are nowhere being able to play a major role, in the next 15 years, in our energy mix. It is not a conspiracy, it is a technological reality. No nukes, no oil drilling, no new refineries, no new natural gas exploitation, and a pipe dream on renewables. That is the world of the environmental extremists. And, I do not work for an energy company, and I have to breathe the same air as they do, so the insults can fly, but they will be invalid.