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BUCHANAN, N.Y. Preliminary findings of the New York State Assembly Committee on Energy say Indian Point Power Plants can be shut down without without overburdening ratepayers or threatening reliability standards.
The preliminary findings are the result of a hearing held in New York City on Jan. 12, where a number of service providers were invited to speak, including Con Edison, New York State Independent System Operators and Entergy Corporation, which owns and operates Indian Point Power Plants.
The information we gathered clearly demonstrates that Indian Point can be shut down without unduly burdening New Yorks ratepayers or the electric system, said Kevin Cahill (D-Ulster), chair of the Assembly Committee on Energy. We have the framework and the resources for a future without Indian Point. It all comes down to the state developing a plan and putting it in motion.
More than one of the key findings listed by Cahill and James Brennan (D-Brooklyn), chair of the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions, came from NYISOs testimony, the independent organization which monitors usage, reliability and future energy needs.
Cahill and Brennan cited NYISOs testimony that new transmission and generation projects in southeast New York could bring up to 5,000 megawatts of electricity into the downstate area by 2016.
Entergy denied access to some financial records requested by the Assembly members regarding costs associated with the plant and contracts with the Independent System Operator. Entergy cited that it sells its energy in a competitive market, and that disclosure of contracts could hurt its competitive position.
Entergy also declined to provide decommissioning plans to the assembly members, citing that it hasn't created decommissioning plans, and has no requirement to do so until two years after plant operations have ceased.
The future of Indian Point cannot be decided in a vacuum. Cahill said. Entergy failed to provide even the most basic information associated with the plants operation. Maybe they thought we would simply walk away. Instead, Entergys lack of cooperation will require us to revisit the issue in the very near future.
Jerry Kremer, chair of the New York Affordable Reliable Electricity Alliance, a pro-Indian Point group, said that at best, the committees are making multiple, long leaps of faith in saying New York can get by without Indian Point. Entergy was a founding member of NY A.R.E.A.
It seems the committees, both chaired by known opponents of Indian Point, were using the Jan. 12 hearing to justify pre-established positions rather than to look informatively at this important issue, said Kremer.
To read more about testimony provided at the Jan. 12 hearing, read our coverage of the hearing.
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