Five years after the application was submitted, The Nuclear
Regulatory Commission on Monday granted a license extension to the Vermont
Yankee nuclear plant.
NRC announced the move March 10, but a staff shortage caused
by the crises in Japan delayed the renewal’s issuance. The plant’s current
license, valid until next year, will now be extended until 2032. The extension
follows years of studies and an agreement with plant owner Entergy regarding
steam dryer maintenance.
First licensed in 1972, the plant uses a single GE-4 boiling
water reactor to produce 510 megawatts, according to NRC. That amounts to roughly
one third of the state’s electricity, according to a report in the Wall Street
Journal.
All the same, the plant’s future remains uncertain. As a
condition to its acquiring the plant in 2002, Entergy agreed to seek state
approval to extend its operations. The Vermont Legislature voted last year to
shut the plant down, although the courts may ultimately decide whether the
state has the authority to do so.