There goes a potential Vermont Yankee customer. From VPR:
Vermont’s second largest electric utility has reached a deal to buy a fifth of its power from the owner of the Seabrook nuclear power plant in New Hampshire.
Green Mountain Power says the contract with NextEra Energy Resources will begin next year.
GMP is casting this as a green decision, citing the lack of carbon emissions from nuclear plants (it should be noted that the absolute carbon footprint of a nuclear plant is not zero, but it is markedly less than fossil fuel burning plants). Of course, the issue of waste and concerns over safety are not part of the pitch.
So GMP brings us nuclear power, but not power from the old, deteriorating VT Yankee whose leaks and “incidents” threaten Vermont communities. Seabrook also is followed by safety issues that mirror those around Yankee: reports of fires, tritium leaks, and storage concerns – although to this point, none seem to have escalated to the degree and frequency of those associated with Yankee. Nor have they been accompanied by the overtly appalling behavior of corporate execs that we witnessed in Entergy’s testimony in Montpelier.
But it’s still disappointing. Rep. Tony Klein calls it “hypocrisy,” and in a policy sense it is. But in the commercial sense, it’s just another business following the path of least resistance, and letting many of their customers find a way to have their cake and eat it too – and that will placate many customers indeed.
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.
As Arnie’s most recent video points out, a more realistic size evacuation zone than the current 10-mile radius is more like fifty miles. Seabrook is only 40 miles from Boston, making it’s appropriate evacuation zone one of the most populous areas in New England.
A very good friend of mine takes the position that it should be an operating requirement for nuclear plants that 100% safe storage of nuclear waste must be accomplished onsite. The thought is that, if we can export our waste to someone else’s backyard we tend to be more cavalier about the whole thing. It’s a valid point.
When are we going to have that conversation about really consuming less? It’s certainly not going to be originating in the energy sector.
…following the path of least resistance”
LOL. Yer talkin’ bout ‘lectricity.
I don’t have a problem with their shifting purchases from VY to another nuke plant. That’s not an unexpected nor unwelcome event: the more we put pressure on the “cheap” resources, the more behavior will change. Eventually we’ll get rid of all these plants and GMP will buy power from more sustainable sources…