An agreement has been reached to close Indian Point!

This is your place to read comprehensive coverage of the Indian Point Closure Agreement. Developments have been coming fast since the announcement on January 6th. Views are many. Below are comprehensive links to the coverage. Watch this space for the latest developments!

THE ANNOUNCEMENT

http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/06/nyregion/indian-point-nuclear-power-plant-shutdown.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/06/nyregion/indian-point-nuclear-westchester-county.html

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JANUARY 6, 2017

Clearwater Is Cautiously Optimistic Regarding News of Proposed Indian Point Shutdown

BEACON, NY – Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, America’s Environmental Flagship who has long fought for the closure of the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant in Buchanan, NY received news this afternoon that the power plant would be closed in 2021, as the result of an agreement being negotiated by New York State with the plant’s owners, Entergy.  Reactor Unit 2 of the plant is due to close in April 2020, and Unit 3, which would close down the plant for good, is due to close in April 2021.  Unit One, which did not meet earthquake standards, closed in 1974.

Citing dangers to public health and safety and ecological damage to the Hudson River, Clearwater has long advocated for the closure of Indian Point.

“This is definitely a step in the right direction, but it still leaves us in danger for three to four more years. Indian Point has had an abysmal history of emergency shutdown, radioactive leaks, equipment failures, transformer explosions, degraded bolts inside the reactor core, and other problems.  Without a viable evacuation plan, if something should go wrong between now and then,” said Manna Jo Greene, Environmental Action Director for Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, “the 20 million people that live or work within 50 miles of the plant and beyond remain in danger.”

“The intense water withdrawals used to cool the plant will continue to harm Hudson River fish and other aquatic species. This means four more years of massive fish kill, including billions of eggs and larvae through April 2021,” said Dave Conover, Clearwater’s Interim Executive Director.

“The good news is that they have agreed to move old (but still highly radioactive) fuel rods from the severely overcrowded fuel pools, to safer dry-cask storage, to make long-overdue repairs, and to allow more inspections and better oversight” said Greene.

To execute the shutdown, a transition plan must protect workers; retaining those who have institutional memory to ensure safe decommissioning.  Recently a phase out plan was negotiated for Diablo Canyon, the last operating nuclear plant in California, which is scheduled to close in 6 years.  Their transition plan includes replacing the aging nuclear facility with 100% renewable energy, while retaining the most valuable workers, and retraining those who are not as needed after closure for jobs in the renewable energy industry.  Clearwater believes that the New York plan for a “just” transition should include New York’s entire nuclear fleet of six reactors, and be based on realistic but accelerated implementation of on- and off-shore wind, community and large-scale solar, more large and low-impact hydroelectric facilities, with robust storage systems to ensure reliability.

Even without a plan for renewable replacement energy in place, both the NY State Independent System Operators and the NYS Department of State have determined that there is currently sufficient energy on the grid to do without Indian Point due to energy efficiency and reduced energy consumption and the rapid increase in renewable resources.

Clearwater is also calling for a comprehensive plan to ensure safe decommissioning that is funded by Entergy, and doesn’t end up becoming a burden to ratepayers or taxpayers.

With regard to the Article 78 lawsuit recently filed by Clearwater, Goshen Green Farms and others challenging the NYS Public Service Commission’s 12-year mandatory Tier 3 Nuclear Subsidy, Greene said, “The $7.6 billion dollar subsidy was designed mainly to bail out unprofitable nuclear plants in the western part of the state – and remains an unacceptable use of ratepayer dollars, which would be better invested in renewable energy infrastructure, storage and energy efficiency.”

An amended petition is due to be filed next week.

Media Contact: Manna Jo Greene, Environmental Action Director, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater (845) 807-1270.

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About Hudson River Sloop Clearwater 
Launched in 1969 by legendary folk singer and activist Pete Seeger, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater has been at the forefront of the environmental movement as champions of the Hudson River. To date, more than half a million people have experienced their first real look at an estuary’s ecosystem aboard the sloop Clearwater.  Clearwater has become the grassroots model for producing positive changes to protect our planet. For more information, visit www.clearwater.org.

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Clearwater Communications

Kelley Howard ext. 7107

Erin Macchiaroli ext. 7101

Hudson River Sloop Clearwater
724 Wolcott Avenue
Beacon, NY 12508

www.clearwater.org
P: 845-265-8080   F: 206-350-5680

http://patch.com/new-york/peekskill/cautiously-optimistic-activists-contemplate-indian-point-closure

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/news/local/new-york/2017/01/06/report-indian-point-set-close-2021/96251920/

http://www.wnyc.org/story/reports-indian-point-nuclear-plant-close-2021/

http://highlandscurrent.com/2017/01/07/deal-reportedly-underway-close-indian-point-2021/

http://patch.com/new-york/peekskill/indian-point-will-shut-down-2021-report

http://westchester.news12.com/news/indian-point-power-plant-could-close-by-2021-under-cuomo-plan-1.12877620

https://townofcortlandt.com/Documents/Indian%20Point%20Press%20Release%201%206%202017.pdf

http://patch.com/new-york/peekskill/local-officials-shocked-indian-point-closing-report

http://patch.com/new-york/peekskill/indian-point-closure-will-have-catastrophic-effect-westchester-county-exec

http://www.beyondnuclear.org/home/2017/1/7/indian-point-nuclear-power-plant-to-close-by-2020-2021.html

http://www.beyondnuclear.org/nuclear-reactors-whatsnew/2017/1/7/additional-media-coverage-of-indian-points-closure-in-2020-2.html

Indian Point Safe Energy Coalition

January 8, 2017 

Local Officials Duped by Entergy with 25% Claim 

Local officials in Ulster, Dutchess, Orange, Westchester and NYC have come out with the same claim in response to the proposed closing of Indian Point with each official claiming that Indian Point produces 25% of the electricity for their area. They are all very concerned about replacement power. They have been duped and need not worry. The electricity from Indian Point has already been replaced.

But first, some simple math. Entergy makes 2,060 MW of electricity at Indian Point. According to Con Ed, our peak winter load for NYC and Westchester is 9,000 MW and jumps to 13,000 MW in the summer. Entergy can’t produce a quarter of either of those figures, even if it all of their electricity went into our grid – which it doesn’t. Entergy sells 560 MW to Con Ed and bids 1,500 MW into the summer Mid-Hudson Capacity market that serves five counties. In the winter the NYT and Bloomberg News report that it sends 1,500 MW to the Boston area where a lot of gas is diverted for heating and the price of electricity is high. (http://tinyurl.com/bostonprices) The New York Power Authority which supplies the subways, Metro North, municipalities and government buildings among other things has not purchased electricity from Indian Point for years because they can get it cheaper elsewhere. (http://bit.ly/ZvIi41)

What’s left – nothing except the false 25% story that Entergy has told for so long that most people take it as gospel. Like a typical flim-flam artist Entergy claims it is selling the same 25% share of the electricity simultaneously to the five Mid Hudson counties, NYC and Westchester.

Replacement power does not have to be new generation. It can come from improvements in the transmission lines, increased efficiency where you get more work out of the same amount of electricity, or from something as simple as “demand response” where large users are paid to curtail usage at peak times and make extra MW’s available to the grid. There is a mixture of all of that plus new generation in the list below.

This is a list of the replacement power that came on line in 2016, with more to come in 2017 along with a bit of history about how it all happened.

Replacement Power for Indian Point 

In 2012 Governor Cuomo directed the Public Service Commission to develop a plan for the closing of Indian Point.  A Requests For Proposals was put out to the private sector. In addition, several energy market evaluations including the Indian Point Energy Center Retirement Analysis (http://tinyurl.com/nycenergy) which was prepared for the City of New York, the  Synapse Report, (http://tinyurl.com/rksynapse) and the 2013 Energy Highway Blueprint prepared by the State of New York (http://tinyurl.com/NYShighway) made recommendations about replacement electricity for Indian Point. All concluded that sufficient planning for renewables coupled with privately financed supply projects, would allow a smooth transition away from Indian Point.

Between 2012 and 2015, market circumstances rapidly changed. The first surprise in 2013 was that both Danskammer and Bowline, which were both out of service and expected to be demolished, were being refurbished and brought back on line as gas generators. This happened largely because a special capacity zone was established by the Independent System Operator to encourage additional generation in this part of the grid. As a consequence, 1,650 MW of unanticipated electricity became available in addition to the transmission accommodations, which were already in place. As a result, the PSC determined that the construction of new power plants was not necessary in order to replace Indian Point.  Most significantly, in the fall of 2013 the PSC terminated its Request For Proposals and closed the door on new generation in this region. It should be noted that demand for electricity has not increased at the anticipated rate due to efficiency, conservation, and demand response which allows large users of electricity to be paid to reduce use during peak times. With the emphasis New York State has placed on roof top solar, solar generation will undoubted play a role in smoothing out peak demand as well.

Since the 2012 projections and the Energy Highway Blueprint recommendations, over 5,000 megawatts of electricity have been added to the system through transmissions upgrades, efficiency, and demand reduction from distributed generation. This provides over twice the electricity needed to replace the 2,000 megawatts generated at Indian Point. Some of this is gas generation, as the list below indicates. The carbon footprint for these plants has been anticipated and is already figured into the NYS Clean Energy Plan.

• Danskammer (Newburgh) power plant                          550 MW

• Bowline (Haverstraw) power plant                          1,100 MW

• Hudson Transmission Project (NJ to NYC) cable                         660 MW

• PSE&G (NJ to Ramapo) power line                                            380 MW

• Con Ed (Bergen County interconnection) power line                     315 MW

• TOTS (Westchester & Rockland Counties) power lines                 600 MW

• NYSERDA  (Efficiency Projects)                                                    200 MW

• AC Hudson Valley Transmission Upgrades                              1,000+ MW

• New York Power Authority St. Lawrence Seaway                         440 MW 

       TOTAL                                                                                         5,245 MW  

More projects will be coming on line in 2017 and demand has not been as high as anticipated.  We have a surplus of electricity to replace Indian Point, with more megawatts to come.  So, a word to the wise – check your “facts” when they come from a source that stands to profit by them.  Do the math and breathe easy. We have a surplus of electricity. Indian Point has already been replaced.

THE AGREEMENT

Indian Point Closure Plan

The results of the terms of the agreement and additional New York State contingency planning are as follows:

• Early Close Date: Entergy Corp. has agreed to cease all operations at Indian Point and will shut down the Unit 2 reactor in April of 2020. Unit 3 will be shut down in April of 2021. Unit 1 reactor was permanently shut down in October 1974 because the emergency core cooling system did not meet regulatory requirements. In the event of an emergency situation such as a terrorist attack affecting electricity generation, the State may agree to allow Indian Point to continue operating in 2-year increments but no later than April 2024 and April 2025 for Units 2 and 3 respectively.

• Rigorous Safety Requirements and Inspections: New York State will make annual inspections of the plant relating to key operational, regulatory, and environmental matters. Entergy will transfer used fuel to protective storage in “dry casks”, the preferred method of safely storing spent fuel, at a minimum of 4 casks per year and at least 24 by 2021. In addition, at refueling all of the bolts will be inspected at both units and any bolts will be replaced to ensure the reactors’ structural integrity through 2021. The plant’s steam generator will be also be inspected for any cracks during refueling outages.

• Negligible Bill Impact: The Public Service Commission’s Indian Point Contingency Plan and other planning efforts have ensured that more than adequate power resources are able to come online by 2021 to ensure reliability of the power grid. Given these planning efforts and likely replacement resources, the plant’s closure in 2021 will have little to no effect on New Yorkers’ electricity bills.

• Limited Re-licensing and Outstanding Litigation: Entergy will submit a six-year license application to NRC. Entergy, New York State, and other organizations will terminate litigation against one another.

• State Retains Legal Authority: Even though certain cases are settled, the state retains authority to bring additional action against Entergy if new cases arise.

• Workforce Protection: There will be continued employment at the plant throughout the closure process (through 2021), and under the terms of its agreement with New York State, Entergy has committed to offer plant employees new jobs at other facilities. The State of New York will work with workers to gain access to other job opportunities and worker retraining in the power and utility sectors within the state, including at other plants. And, through NYSERDA, the state will offer any worker re-trainings and new skills in renewable technologies like solar and wind.

• Replacement Power: Indian Point produces 2,000 megawatts of electrical power. Currently, transmission upgrades and efficiency measures totaling over 700 megawatts are already in-service. Several generation resources are also fully permitted and readily available to come online by 2021, after the plant’s closure, including clean, renewable hydropower able to replace up to 1,000 megawatts of power. Together, these sources will be able to generate more than enough electrical power to replace Indian Point’s capacity by 2021.

• No Net Increase of Emissions Due to Closure: The Governor’s leadership on energy and climate change will ensure that Indian Point’s closure will not have an adverse impact on carbon emissions at the regional level. Through the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the state will continue to drive reductions in greenhouse gases across the power sector. Further, the Governor’s Clean Energy Standard to get 50 percent of New York’s electricity from renewables by 2030 is the most comprehensive and ambitious mandate in the state’s history to fight climate change, reduce harmful air pollution, and ensure a diverse and reliable energy supply at affordable prices.

• Ongoing Environmental Protection: Entergy has also agreed to establish a $15 million fund to support environmental restoration and community benefit projects. The fund will support efforts potentially including, but not limited to, the protection and restoration of vital wetlands and estuaries, the creation and enhancement of wildlife habitat, invasive species migration, and the conducting of scientific studies to ensure the long-term viability of the area’s natural resources.

• Local Tax Impact: The agreement allows for ample time to plan for and mitigate impacts to local tax revenues. Entergy’s previously agreed upon payments in lieu of taxes (PILOTs) to local government entities and school districts will continue through 2021, before being gradually stepped down at a negotiated level following shutdown. The state will also work with local communities to address potential revenue shortfalls, similar to how it has worked with communities affected by other plant closures through the existing fossil fuel plant retirement fund.

https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-announces-10th-proposal-2017-state-state-closure-indian-point-nuclear-power

The Complete Text of the Agreement – https://closeindianpoint.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/indian-point-closure-agreement-january-8-2017.pdf

http://river.convio.net/site/MessageViewer?em_id=23190.0&dlv_id=27910

http://patch.com/new-york/peekskill/entergy-discuss-decision-close-indian-point-energy-center

http://patch.com/new-york/peekskill/shutting-indian-point-was-financial-decision-entergy

http://patch.com/new-york/peekskill/plan-indian-point-closing-aftermath-cuomo

http://patch.com/new-york/whiteplains/future-indian-point-nuclear-waste-site-neighborhood-county-officials

http://www.theexaminernews.com/indian-point-nuclear-power-plants-to-close-in-2021/

https://www.nrdc.org/experts/matthew-mckinzie/closing-indian-point-reduces-risk-nuclear-accidents

http://www.beyondnuclear.org/the-nuclear-retreat/2017/1/11/thanks-spanks-for-cuomos-conflicted-approach-to-new-yorks-nu.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/13/opinion/mr-cuomo-has-149-things-to-tell-you.html

http://www.commondreams.org/views/2017/01/13/why-nuclear-engineer-says-every-nuke-plant-us-should-be-shut-down-yesterday

http://www.activistpost.com/2017/01/leaking-radiation-new-york-decades-indian-point-ticking-time-bomb-finally-close.html

https://closeindianpoint.wordpress.com/2017/01/15/the-lights-have-gone-out-on-indian-point-and-nuclear-is-on-its-way-out-tell-president-elect-trump-to-stop-the-bailout-from-nuclear-information-and-resource-service/

http://www.theexaminernews.com/hen-hud-faces-grim-reality-of-losing-indian-point-funding-2/

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/19/opinion/indian-point-and-inmates.html

THE BACKGROUND

http://www.heraldpalladium.com/news/local/palisades-to-close-in/article_a2d368a7-30c7-593d-9c6d-e5ca61da195c.html

http://nukefreetexas.org/2010/12/new-york-relying-much-less-on-indian-point-for-energy/

http://www.beyondnuclear.org/radioactive-waste-whatsnew/2017/1/7/documentary-film-containment-premieres-on-pbs-on-monday-janu.html

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/the-nuclear-option.html?linkId=33128113

http://patch.com/new-york/peekskill/entergy-provides-update-indian-point-licensing-process

http://patch.com/new-york/peekskill/setback-indian-point-relicensing-ny-court-appeals-ruling

http://patch.com/new-york/peekskill/entergy-seeks-control-indian-point-decommissioning-fund

http://patch.com/new-york/tarrytown/tarrytown-hearings-on-indian-point-to-resume

http://patch.com/new-york/peekskill/nrc-hearing-indian-point-re-starts-nov-16

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-02/entergy-to-close-james-a-fitzpatrick-nuclear-power-plant-ighwq4q9

http://patch.com/new-york/peekskill/ny-objects-indian-point-operation-relicensing

http://patch.com/new-york/peekskill/hendrick-hudson-entergy-pilot-agreement

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/roger-witherspoon/nuke-plant-facing-shutdow_b_5607600.html

http://patch.com/new-york/peekskill/nrc-finds-environmental-impacts-of-indian-point-minimal