Washington, D.C. – November 17, 2016 – Nuclear Matters issued the following statement on the announcement today regarding the New York Public Service Commission (PSC) hearing on the transfer of the James A. FitzPatrick nuclear power plant in Scriba, New York to Exelon Corporation from Entergy Corporation:
“With a number of nuclear energy plants across the country at-risk for premature closure – or having closed already – New York is a bright spot on the map when it comes to recognizing and preserving the many benefits that these plants provide. While we will need to review the final order in order to fully evaluate the PSC’s decision, the approval of the FitzPatrick transfer preserves a host of benefits for all New Yorkers, allowing the continued operation of a reliable producer of carbon-free energy that is also a key driver of jobs and economic growth in the state.
The numbers bear this out: the FitzPatrick plant employs more than 600 individuals in well-paying jobs, provides carbon-free energy for more than 800,000 homes in New York, accounts for more than half a billion dollars annually in regional economic activity, and is a major contributor of tax revenue, which goes towards funding important community services.
We applaud the leadership of Governor Cuomo and the PSC in putting into motion the Clean Energy Standard (CES), which was considered and discussed over a period of many months, and which paved the way for this transfer. In addition to preserving the economic and environmental benefits of nuclear energy for all New Yorkers, the inclusion of nuclear energy in the CES and the preservation of FitzPatrick will save the state’s consumers $1.7 billion in electricity costs, according to a recent Brattle Group report. The CES also positions the state well for meeting its long-term carbon reduction goals, and will allow New York to remain a leader on this front. Other states should consider similar solutions to ensure that at-risk nuclear plants continue to provide reliable, carbon-free electricity for Americans across the country.”