December 24, 2008

Vermont Yankee Reliability Likely OK

Today's (12/24/08) Burlington Free Press reports that a recently completed report on the reliability aspects of Vermont Yankee by Consultant's Nuclear Safety Associates, Inc. states that 'Vermont Yankee is reliable enough to keep running after its license expires in 2012, provided its owners make changes, including to the plant's consensers and the cooling towers that collapsed in 2007.'

The full report, 415 pages, is here.

Adding to the recent NRC evaluation, this is good news, although several more reports and other information will be forthcoming on which the General Assembly will base a decision for another 20 years of operation

Predictably, Senator Peter Shumlin expressed wariness about Vermont Yankee as he continues to pander to the rabid ant-nuke activists in his district. Meanwhile, VY continues negotiations with Vermont's electric utilities on new power purchase agreements.

We should keep in mind that the General Assembly will not decide on the safety aspects for VY. That determination is the purview or the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (thankfully!). Vermont is the only state in the nation that has given itself the power to rule on the reliability and continued operations of a nuclear generating facility. One wonders if they have the courage and capability to even make such a technical judgment.

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