Nuclear Power - Vermont Yankee

The Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station (VY) is located in the southeastern corner of Vermont, in the town of Vernon. Vermont Yankee began operating in 1972 and is licensed for operation until 2012.

VY is Vermont's single largest supply source. It is a nominal 540 megawatt boiling water reactor, one of five operating nuclear plants in New England. In 2003, VY suppled almost 35 percent of Vermont's energy requirements and almost 28 percent of peak load.

In 2002, VY was sold by the eight New England utilities that owned the plant to Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee, LLC, a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation of New Orleans, Louisiana. Entergy is the second largest nuclear generator in the US.

The Vemont State Nuclear Advisory Panel (VSNAP) is established by statute to advise the state on nuclear issues.

Nuclear Issues Vermont Faces

In the present and coming years, Vermont faces a number of issues related to Vermont Yankee including:

A pending proposal to increase power output by 20 percent, so-called "uprate," which was conditionally approved by the PSB in 2004 and currently before the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
On-site nuclear waste storage in facilities called "dry casks."
Potential for license extension beyond 2012.
Decommissioning issues.
The question of how to replace the large amount of power currently supplied by VY at whatever point the plant ceases operation.

The Vermont Electric Plan contains more extensive discussion of these and other nuclear issues.