Vermont Yankee and Energy Policy

Let me say it right up front - I think Yankee should close in 2012 but I do believe that nuclear power needs to play a role in America's energy future.

The Vermont Yankee plant was not the state of the art when it was built.  It was an older design that was used for its cost savings.  The plant has seen several updates including the complete rebuilding of the control area in the wake of Three Mile Island.  That said, it is still an older design that is well past the "use by" date in its specs.  The collapse of the cooling tower should be a warning to all.

I do feel for Vernon and the 600 workers at the plant.  All of these 600 jobs will not be lost immediately in 2012.  There will be a phase out of the jobs as the plant is decommissioned.  It's not as though it's a surprise, the end date was out there when they all took their jobs.

I also think Vermont needs to help out the taxpayers in Vernon with a property tax subsidy over a period years to replace the VY tax income.  The lost of that income could have a detrimental impact on the community.

Future Energy Sources
In Orange County we are served by one of the most progressive utilities in Vermont and probably the country, Washington Electic Co-op (WEC).  Thanks to the actions of the WEC board we are a  "No Nuke Zone."  the board was the first one out of both VY and the Seabrook generator.

WEC has actively sought out a diverse set of power sources to replace that nuclear generation.  They have local hydro through the Wrightsville Dam and bio generation through the Coventry Landfill.  Another major utility stresses the green in its name but it is WEC that is truly green and is showing the way to meeting the power needs of its customers.

I'd be remiss if I didn't also mention WEC's pioneering energy conservation programs.  Critics thought they were nuts by saying they planned to grow while encouraging their customers use less power.  What management and the board knew was that demand would grow from new hook-up at the same time the were getting customers to use less.  It's been good business and good environmental policy on the part of WEC.  Once again little old Vermont is showing the way for the rest of the country.

Even if all of America's utilities followed our lead and developed wind, solar, water and biomass sources we will probably have to keep nuclear in the mix.  Europe has developed new designs that generate less waste and are safer and more efficient. The federal government has to step up to the plate, develop some courage and finalize a long-term storage solution.