The nuclear reactor that is Indian Point Unit 2 will be shut down for the final time April 30 as part of the plan to totally take the nuclear-powered electric generating plant out of service by April 30, 2021.
The plant itself was built with three nuclear reactors that provided heat to turn water into steam to drive turbines that turn electric generators. Construction started on Reactor No. 1 on April 30, 1956. The reactor started operating in 1962. It was permanently shut down on Oct. 30, 1974.
Reactor No. 2 began commercial operations in 1974, with Reactor No. 3 coming on line in 1976. Reactor No. 3 is scheduled to be shut down next year. Entergy purchased Indian Point units 1 and 2 from Con Edison for $602 million. It subsequently bought Unit 3 from the New York State Power Authority.
“Over the last 45 years, thousands of dedicated professionals have operated Unit 2 at Indian Point ”“ safely, securely and reliably,” said Chris Bakken, Entergy”™s chief nuclear officer. “We owe each of them our thanks for a job well done and for their commitment to the highest standards of professionalism.”
Entergy owns and operates five nuclear power units in Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi along with conventional power plants. Entergy has annual revenues of $11 billion and has approximately 13,600 employees.
The Indian Point shutdown is the result of a settlement agreement with New York state. More than 40 employees from Indian Point have accepted offers to continue with Entergy in other locations.
In April of last year, Entergy announced the proposed post-shutdown sale of the subsidiaries that own Unit 1, Unit 2 and Unit 3 to a Holtec International subsidiary. Holtec would handle decommissioning at Indian Point following regulatory approvals and the closing of the transfer from Entergy next year. It has said that part of the Indian Point site would be released for reuse in 12 to 15 years after decommissioning began. Holtec said it expected to offer employment to about 300 Indian Point employees for work on the shutdown.
But where’s the replacement electricity coming from?
Why doesn’t NYS build the replacement 1st? This is just 1 of many insane policies brought on the Democrats and Cuomo and its just ruining NYS.
Its no wonder so many people are packing up and leaving NYS.
The replacement power is coming from two (fracked) natural gas plants. Cricket Valley Energy Center located in Dover NY and CPV Valley in Middletown. Both of these plants are going to dump millions of tons of CO2 and other pollutants into the air every year. A Harvard study published last week shows that people living near these types of plants have a 15% higher chance of dying if they contract COVID-19.
Great trade, right?
These 3 old nuclear reactors should be replaced by 3 smaller modern design nuclear reactors similar to the ones operating in France that are extremely safe and environmentally friendly. No CO2!
This is the only realistic long term energy solution for the downstate NY area.
One must beware of clean energy claims by entities like Riverkeeper and NRDC that promise pie in the sky, making unrealistic suggestions.
This is the Northeastern US after all with a low solar index and global horizontal irradiance.
This is NOT Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico and Western Texas.
And wind power will only provide marginal help.
Geothermal energy in the downstate area is also an option but without subsidies it’s very expensive for the average home and will also only provide marginal help.
1. New York State and NYC have some of the most expensive electricity prices in North America.
2. Every summer in NYC and the metro area are brownouts during times of peak demand. This area just does not have the electric energy required to support its needs.
Even with the Covid-19 reduced electricity consumption situation this summer of 2020 there were blackouts and brownouts with voltage reductions of around 5% in many areas/peak times. A/Cs do not operate properly at those voltages, to put it mildly.
When NYC returns to normal and electricity consumption increases residents will face far more severe brownouts. Not many residents will then tolerate living without A/C in the hot summer days/nights.
There is some hope if about a million or two NY residents have moved out of NYC by next summer 2021 as the 2020 census may show. That will provide some breathing space in electricity demand/consumption.
But if the downstate NY area and the NY metro area aspires to long term economic growth, nuclear energy is the only regional realistic option, no matter what the enviro groups like Riverkeeper and NRDC claim and promise.