NRC supports critics: Yankee decommissioning fund is underfunded

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Some days it seems that we could set up a whole separate section here, maybe call it “Yankee Watch”. At the risk of piling on, there's another story today.

It was less than a month ago that Douglas vetoed the legislation to require Vermont Yankee to maintain financial assurances for its eventual decommissioning:

“Rather, H.436 threatens our economic recovery by unnecessarily increasing electric rates for consumers and businesses.  Further, this legislation substitutes an objective process with political calculations, it breaks a promise made by the state of Vermont to a private entity and it exposes taxpayers to certain litigation.”

 Today it turns out that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the agency actually responsible for the safety of nuclear power plants (or, in the parlance of the Douglas administration, an “outside agitator”), takes a different view.

MONTPELIER — The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission will notify the owners of Vermont Yankee and 25 other nuclear plants today that they have shortfalls in money dedicated to dismantling the reactors once they're no longer operating.

And who had it right on this issue?

Well, in addition to the General Assembly, it was GMD's own Maggie Gundersen:

Governor Douglas would rather add a tax burden of $1,000 to each and every Vermonter (yes, every man, woman, and child) than to tell ENVY it is time to fill the fund.

 

 So as Maggie said last year, read the table, read the news, and then repeat after me. “Thanks, Jim.”

3 thoughts on “NRC supports critics: Yankee decommissioning fund is underfunded”

  1. Staying shielded from decommissioning costs is a major benefit for Entergy .The Governor’s claim to be saving the state from “certain litigation ” is a little bit of smoke.  

    Shortly after  Governor Douglas  vetoed the decommissioning bill S&P uprated Entergy’s credit rating from negative to stable citing the proposed spin-off, Enexus’s ability to shield the parent company from the financial liability posed from decommissioning costs. S&P also notes in Entergy’s favor the ability to sell  ...non-regulated power on the wholesale market, where prices can skyrocket as utilities try to cover shortfalls in peak-demand periods.



    http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap…

  2. Entergy is accountable for 5 of the reactors without adequate funding for cleanup

    _Indian Point, Unit 2, New York state.

    .

    _Palisades Nuclear plant, Michigan.

    .

    _River Bend Station, Louisiana.

    _Vermont Yankee Power Station, Vermont.

    _Waterford Generating Station, Unit 3, Louisiana.

    Source: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission memo to congressional offices.

    http://www.washingtonexaminer….

    Vermont better get to the front of the line in a hurry.

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