nuclear plant

[Carolyn Branagan]

I’m interested in what you are thinking about relicensing Vermont Yankee.  It is unusual for a legislature to make the decision on whether to continue a nuclear plant, but that’s the way it works in Vermont. I’m not even sure the issue will come to the floor, but if it does I will cast my vote in large part based on the feelings of the people I represent.

What’s the impact of keeping or losing 600 jobs? What about the reluctance to establish a consumer price for the energy? Are you worried about the many safety issues? What about the feds dropping the ball on spent fuel storage?

So, please share your thoughts. Contact me at cbranagan@leg.state.vt.us or better yet, post your comment here on Henry’s site. I want to hear from you.

Rep. Carolyn Branagan
Franklin-1, Fairfax/Georgia
Vermont House of Representatives

[j_gluck]

Carolyn,

I agree with Senator Shumlin and others that there are some issues that need to be resolved before the Legislature can vote for relicensing.

• A power purchase agreement needs to be in place
• The safety issues identified by the Legislature's panel need to be addressed
• Either the spin-off to Enexus Energy Corporation needs to be denied by the PSB or Entergy needs to guarantee that they will be liable for the cleanup of the plant when the time comes if Enexus doesn't have the funds to do so
• A plan must be in place for the disposal of the radioactive waste now stored on-site

I know that you have voted against the bills the Legislature passed on this third point, but it is crucial. The Entergy-Enexus deal is the same as the one that Verizon and FairPoint did earlier this year. Verizon walked away from the table with a lot of cash, FairPoint got saddled with lots of debt and we got an unstable company that has now filed for bankruptcy. It's a Wall Street deal to help Wall Street, not Main Street.

I heard the VP of Entergy on VPR talk about how Enexus will have the assets of the plants that are worth billions of dollars. However, if anything happens to any of these plants Enexus will be worthless. If the spin off goes through without guarantees that Entergy will be liable for the clean up of the plant, then, once again, we (the taxpayers) will get stuck with a bill of $600 million or more for the clean up. Where will that money come from?

That is why the Legislature has passed these bills - to spare the taxpayers of Vermont this expense. No one asked Entergy to pay this money now. No one asked them to put it in an escrow account. Nothing in the bill would have raised the rate for electricity between now and 2012. But somehow these bills got all of these bad things falsely attached to them.

Related to point one above. For the past six years Governor Douglas has praised VY for providing cheap power. Now he's pushing for the Legislature to license first, then we'll find out the rate. It contradicts everything he's said for the past six years, and it's a strategy that will lead to higher rates. The Legislature shouldn't vote until the power agreement is made available so that the VY rate can be compared with power available from Hydro Quebec or other suppliers.

Thanks for asking - and listening.

[MR32]

I'm glad you started this post.
Plant or no plant we all need to be more aware of the energy we use on a daily basis. This plant is the oldest of it's kind, and broken and has many unresolved issues with it. Perhaps we should resolve some of them sure, but the bigger issue is... how are we going to provide sustainable sources of energy for our children and future generations?

We should all be trying to use less, conserve more and take personal steps to lessen our need for the abundance of energy we use every day.

As it stands China is the leader in developing alternative energy sources, and I don't know about you but to me that is down right scary, considering the issues they have had with plastics toys,  foods, and work place conditions! We have an opportunity to step up to the plate and create more jobs here in Vermont by taking the bull by the horn and start becoming the ingenious thinkers, mover and shakers that we are and get off the power grid and create some down home Yankee ingenuity!

[cedarman]

I think if the legislature is seriously considering closing VT Yankee, then they NEED to lay the ground work to establish alternatives.

Revise ACT 250 or other legislation to make it easier to develop small scale hydro-dams (not the megawatt generating type which flood thousands of acres, but smaller, scale projects that can be developed with minimal upstream/down stream impact).

Establish laws which make it EASIER to build/develop wind turbines.

I support the need to develop alternative energy souces.  However, with the widespread "Not in my back yard" attitude, and very little support from the government to MAKE alternative energy development happen, I don't believe the average citizens of Vermont can afford the shut down of VT Yankee.   I have read many articles on this topic that go in both directions.  There is NO easy answer.  I think closure of Yankee now would result in far more job losses than just those at VT Yankee based on elec. cost increases alone.

A simple calculation of the potential impact looks like this:  VT Yankee currently supplies power to VT at 4.5 cents/kwh, and the open market electricity price is 7.5 to 8 cents/kwh.  Assuming all power without Yankee will be 7.5 cent/kwh (other sources will most likely charge the current market price since VT legislature doesn't hold power over their future), and VT yankee currently supplying 1/3 of demand in VT;  closing Yankee will potentially result in a 22% increase in power cost ((3 cents increase/4.5 cents) *.33).  That is assuming simple math (which the entires system is FAR from simple), and assuming the power companies don't jack up their delivery cost to cover their losses to delivery line resistance, etc.

I think it would be AWESOME if VT would take a lead in GREEN power development and utilization.  We have a world class wind turbine company right here in VT, and VERY FEW commercial (or residential) wind turbines in use here in VT.  Vermont NEEDS VT Yankee for the next 20 or more years, while the legislature actively pushes the development of alternative energy souces to supply at least 1/3 to 1/2 of Vermont's power needs in a stable, cost competitive network BEFORE shutting down Yankee.

[Henry]

In simple terms, I believe you can identify the shutting down of Vermont Yankee to quitting a good job when you don't have another.  We need backup sources to replace Vermont Yankee before we shut it down.

[DrewCrash]

renew it - authorize the construction of a newer / more facilities. let Vermont continue to lead and be amongst the first in the nation by seeing the benefits of nuclear power. regulate it like crazy. support Democratic party theory that bigger is better. create a few hundred government jobs plus more in the private sector. support it, but regulate it. (just like the banks should have been) we can't continue to live by the China Syndrome. as a result, an incident such as the one at Three Mile Island was fueled by an incorrect majority. if there was one thing to learn about Three Mile Island was that despite calamity on the horizon, the systems in place to ultimately stop it worked. this was 30 years ago people.

France derives 75% of its power from nuclear energy. I moved to Vermont 5 years ago and never had the term Frenchy used. Why can we look at a European national health care system, such as France's, and praise it? But yet we seem to know more than them about nuclear power? France exports 18% of its nuclear power. can you imagine exporting our nuclear power to New York City? France also has the lowest electric rates. amazing!?!?!?! France also recycles there nuclear fuel rods, thereby eliminating nuclear waste. something that the United States pays other people to do for us. how about a system like that in Vermont? we recycle the other states' waste and the state makes even more $.

you hire me, I will work there. I will even live right next to it. i say this to debunk the myth that people only say these things when they mean it in terms of, "well, not in my backyard..."

I am a Republican and I think both the Democrats and Republicans in this state have it backwards to nuclear energy. when does the good for the greater people come first over the voice of a minority? special interest groups, such as the ones who have ridiculous fought the Wal-Mart in St. Albans must stop getting the upper advantage. create laws, define the rules. as a government, our laws are designed to allow for a minority to stop a Wal-Mart for ridiculous reasons.

the nuclear plant will not be re-licensed and nuclear power will be dead in Vermont. the wind projects will not take off because everyone is going to fight that. its not as productive as nuclear and it impacts a visual area that is expansive versus a nuclear plant which has a small geographical location foot print. and of course, St. Albans will never get a Wal-Mart.

actually, if St. Albans wanted to do something smart; they would begin marketing the city to Target. Imagine a Target in St. Albans. now, you have people from other counties, such as Chittendon & Lamoille, coming to St. Albans. Those people won't come if there is a Wal-Mart. Chittendon (w/exception of maybe Milton & Georgia) will still go to Williston. But a Target...oh a Target. People are driving over to go Christmas shopping in Plattsburgh because there is a Target. IN PLATTSBURGH!!!!! -- if they are willing to go to Plattsburgh, they will go to St. Albans. This will help the downtown. you will have people coming into town who aren't frequent contributors. events at the Collins Center will become more successful. restaurants will do better. maybe even real estate will bounce. some of those homes on the 'hill' section off of downtown are amazing and authentic. for areas to be successful is what we need and limited commercial and industrial expansion is not bad.

build a Target.
keep nuclear.
explore expanding nuclear. be the leader.

I wish I could be Jefferson Smith. or am I more like Thomas Jefferson Johnson?

[MR32]

Next to the Taget could be a Trader Joes!

[fletchtb]

Drew - Please stop making so much sense otherwise we are liable to end up with reasonably priced, clean electricity, more jobs, and better places to shop in Franklin County.

[slpott]

What about a starbucks. Sorry Trevor. We jst got back from Virginia and they are on every corner. We saw a lot of signs for them on the freeway too. I would love a Target.

[MR32]

Personally I think that a lot of West Coast Coffees- Starbucks in particular,  are over roasted and bitter. Starbucks also charges a pretty penny for a cup of Joe. Research shows that an average cup of coffee , plus, paper cup, insulator, stir stick plastic cover, sugar and cream, electricity , water and napkin totals to less than 10 cents a cup! Coffee over $2.00 is an out rage!

[cedarman]

Well stated Drew.  I moved to VT about 3 yrs ago.  I like a lot of things about this state.  I don't like that fact that anything resembling progress (expanding power sources of all types, business development above a "Ma and Pa" level, or building almost anything - highway, bridge, ferry landing) is so over burdened by a vocal minority that it becomes too slow, too expensive, and too much of a pain in the rear to pursue.

Carolyn,
I hope you will continue to be a strong voice for the rational, reasonable, common men/women in our area.  Maybe with enough political support, we ALL can continue to afford to live in such a great area within our great nation.

[DrewCrash]

Did I make sense? My wife doesn't like when people say that, because then I start to think about my future in public office. Not sure if me neighbors would vote for a flatlander like me...but then again Gary GIlbert and I have something in common, we both moved to Vermont at the same age...

Is Chris Santee thinking about another run?

[slpott]

I certainly hope so. Talk about a man with some common sense for the common good. He is truly amazing. Go for it Chris. You have our votes.

[Linda Kirker]

Contrary to the approach of our Congressional delegation, it is refreshing that our district's repblican legislator, Carolyn Branagan, actually cares to know what her constituents want. True representation!
As to Vermont Yankee's (Entergy) contract renewal....first of all, the leadership of the Vermont House and Senate overstepped their bounds by supporting the legislature's having a voice in the renewal process. We have a Public Service Board whose job it is to approve power contracts for the state. No other legislature in the nation had the audacity to assume authority over this process. They appear to be "Power hungry", no pun intended.
The people of Vermont need power that is affordable, accessible, renewable and safe. I believe that the Nuclear REgulatory Commission has deemed VT Yankee to be a safe facility. And, we all want safety, of course. Vermont Yankee power is very affordable compared to other energy sources. It provides over 1/3 of our energy at about four cents per KW. Vermont is the envy of other states that don't have Nuclear and Hydro Quebec energy sources.  Our economy is dependent on affordable energy. Our businesses , homes  & families need energy for their existence.
 Imagine if your personal  energy costs rose considerably in addition to the already high taxes and cost of living in Vermont.. A problem created by the legislature through excessive spending, taxation and regulation.
The State of Vermont is in dire economic condition, thousands are unemployed and taxes are high. We don't need to increase our costs and put 600 more people out of work by shutting down VT Yankee. We need common sense!

[Chris Santee]

Lt. Governor Dubie Calls for Investigation of Entergy’s Conflicting Statements

(MONTPELIER, VT) – Lt. Governor Brian Dubie today released the following statement concerning reports of conflicting statements made by Entergy about underground pipes at its Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon:     

“I have been briefed by the Public Service Commissioner on what we know now about the inaccurate and conflicting information provided by Entergy concerning underground pipes at the Vernon facility. I consequently call for a full and prompt investigation of Entergy management’s conflicting statements. Before considering any further action on Vermont Yankee, we need a factual accounting and resolution of this situation.”