The James A. FitzPatrick nuclear plant.
NEW YORK — The FitzPatrick nuclear power facility in Scriba could be financially sound and ready for refueling as soon as June under an expedited rescue plan proposed today (Feb. 23) by the New York State Public Service Commission.
In addition to proposing the plan and commencing the necessary public comment process, the Commission also repeated its offer to work cooperatively with the facility’s owner, Entergy Corp., to take steps necessary to keep the plant operating beyond this year.
“The plan would enable expedited financial support to FitzPatrick and other qualified nuclear power plants in Upstate New York,” said Commission Chair Audrey Zibelman. “Until then, we invite Entergy to work with us to make the plans necessary to refuel FitzPatrick and to support the statewide objectives of New York’s new Clean Energy Standard.”
Gov. Andrew Cuomo earlier this year called for the establishment of a Clean Energy Standard that would develop enough clean, renewable power to meet half of the state’s electricity needs by 2030.
This “50 by 30” mandate depends on the continued, safe operation of fully-licensed nuclear power plants; otherwise, greenhouse gas emissions could rise significantly if more power is needed from fossil-fuel generation to replace the energy lost from the closure of nuclear power plants.
As part of the Clean Energy Standard, the Commission has been formulating a new energy credit that would, for the first time, place a monetary value on the zero-emission power produced by FitzPatrick and other qualified plants.
Because these Zero Emissions Credits (ZECs) cannot produce revenues on an immediate basis, the Commission today ordered development and consideration of a faster response to the financial problems currently affecting FitzPatrick and other nuclear facilities.
The order follows a report by the New York Independent System Operator that found the absence of FitzPatrick and other nuclear facilities would lead to reliability concerns.
The ISO’s finding bolsters the need for a financial support mechanism to help retain upstate nuclear power plants and avoid an unnecessary increase in carbon emissions.
The Commission today also approved a Reliability Support Services Agreement between Rochester Gas & Electric and the Ginna Nuclear facility near Rochester.
A temporary surcharge has been in place since last year and today’s order approves the RSSA through March 31, 2017 (pending the completion of transmission systems upgrades required before the Ginna Plant may retire from service, and payments to be made by RG&E to Ginna for that reliability support.)
Following public comments and additional study, the Commission is expected to consider adoption of the Clean Energy Standard in June.
If the mandate includes ZECs, these new credits would potentially take effect following the end of the RSSA support payments to Ginna on March 31, 2017.
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The plant is old, it’s leaking, it needs to be shut down before it causes a major catastrophe.
The particular short term economic interests of a few hundred individuals who have sold themselves to private corporations is not the most important thing here.
There are far more productive things for people to do than continue operating a nuclear plant that doesn’t really need to exist. These folks should give their jobs up faithfully and move forward.
We could transform the entire region economically if we hopped on board the agenda to rebuild and modernize the United States of America.
And a few hundred people and their families are going to be selfish Americans? They are actually going to argue that there are reasons other than pure economic self interest to keep this facility open?
There aren’t reasons to keep it open. Swallow it down and move on to a better tomorrow.
Thank you.
The continued operation of the Fitzpatrick plant is an economic necessity for the workers and community. I have heard of no leaks at the plant. This sounds like another scare tactic from the anti-nuclear factions. The power is indeed needed and cessation of energy production would create a situation in which the remaining power production from fossil fuel plants would have to increase, thus creating more green house emissions. Solar is not a real viable option and wind turbines would be a hinderance to wild life and an environmental eyesore. A few hundred people out of jobs really translates to over 600 people, not to mention all of the supplemental workers needed every two years as dictated by the refueling schedule. Until the technology of alternative energy sources improves, it is essential that the Fitzpatrick plant remain operational.
There are leaks, radioactive tritium, widely reported, look it up.
Oh, wind power is an “eyesore” but a nuclear plant isn’t? Right. And even if the “eyesore” argument is at all valid that outweighs the right to a safe region? Ridiculous.
Solar is a viable option. Wind is too. And lots of other Green energies that do not run the risk of nuclear disaster.
Ok I’ll give you 600 plus people. There are thousands of people in the region. Their safety and the long term environmental health of Lake Ontario and regional ecology is less than important than those jobs? It is not a suggestion to be taken seriously.
But I get it, we are ruled by Republicans of the Barclay/Ritchie ilk and we have a pretty right wing culture here. The local media collaborates with its sponsors to accentuate the “pro nuclear” position.
But it’s possible to break free from that regressive worldview and to realize the plant should be closed and the workers reintegrated into better, less dangerous jobs. I mean they obviously must have a lot of talent to be making all that money out at Fitzpatrick so why would it be such a chore for them to do something else?