Last week, Entergy announced it will prematurely close its Fitzpatrick nuclear power plant more than 20 years ahead of schedule, which the company says will save it $250 million. The State of New York says closing the plant will cost the state $500 million and devastate the local community. The loss of carbon-free emissions is closer to $3 billion.
Almost every constituency and politician involved says they really don’t want the plant to close, including the utility itself, the local community, the Governor of New York, the New York Representatives, the New York Senators and the Obama Administration.
So why can’t something be worked out?
The local government is more than just worried. The average Fitzpatrick worker earns about $120,000 a year, a huge number in a county where the median household income is only $48,000.
James Conca – Forbes – November 10, 2015.