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.

State Employees Held Hostage

At great cost to you and me, the taxpayers, the Shumlin administration is holding 1,500 state employees (a fifth of the workforce) hostage.  The state employees who worked in Waterbury are being denied a return to that work assignment because the Shumlin Administration wants to close the State Hospital.

Here's something you should know right now - the State office complex in Waterbury has been rehabbed and is ready to have employees move back in.  Yes, the administration needs to let the telephone people back in and the computer network people but the building itself is ready for occupancy.  You may have missed that only the cellar area was flooded and that 75% of the buildings had no water damage.

So why is the administration keeping people in cramped spaces in the Montpelier office complex and in expensive rental space in the Burlington area and elsewhere?  Why would they do something like that?  Simple, if they get most State employees back into those buildings then the public and many legislators will ask why not move the State Hospital back into its space and the governor and Jeb Spaulding can't have that - they want the hospital closed and are using the flood to do it.

I keep wondering why no one in the press is asking how much putting VSH (Vermont State Hospital) patients in the Brattleboro Retreat and other settings is costing.  A hint - a lot!  The administration is hoping to hide that cost in post-Irene recovery funding.  So far no one is interested in pursuing it so you and I will have to foot that bill also.

Keep in mind this is a lot of money being spent as recovery money that is not really realted to the flood or the recovery.  This money is being spent with the idea of getting you to spend even more - to build, contract out or otherwise replace the State Hospital.

Don't Let  Good Crisis Go To Waste

Every Governor for the past 40 years has made closing the State Hospital a goal.  None have done it because the legislature has not wanted to tackle it.  Now, Peter Shumlin has decided to use a real crisis to manufacture a supposed crisis response of replacing the hospital.  That only happens if the building is unusable.  If Shumlin and Spaulding let the state employees return then the hospital looks to the legislators like it could, or should, also reopen.

The legislature is feeling cash strapped and so doesn't really want to deal with the hospital issue.  Plus, they are hearing from their local hospitals that Vermont needs a secure, State-run facility.  In the past the response has been to just limp the existing hospital along.  The previous administrations have just funded it enough to pass accreditation inspections.

The truth is, running the State Hospital is a losing proposition for the State. They pay out more in sick time, workers comp claims and medical related expenses there than they do at any of the correctional facilities.  If you run a hospital or community mental health facility why would you want to take it over from the state?  None of them do and so the legislature and the Shumlin Administration will be saddled with continuing to run a State facility - the question is: will it be in a totally rehabbed Waterbury facility or a new building elsewhere.

It's time for the Shumlin Administration to come clean on its motives. It's time for the legislature to become adults and make a decision on the hospital and fund that direction.  And it's time for both of them to come out from behind the smoke screen of Tropical Storm Irene and be honest with Vermonters. (Wouldn't that be refreshing?!?)  But most of all it's time to stop holding 1,500 employees hostage and let them go back to doing work for Vermonters from their offices in Waterbury.

Refreshing the View

The gang at blogger recently announced that there are five new ways to view a blog on their platform. I'll be investigating these and maybe choosing one for any future posts here. So, stay tuned.

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