Comments on: The Lights Will Stay On, Without Vermont Yankee http://www.clf.org/blog/clean-energy-climate-change/the-lights-will-stay-on-without-vermont-yankee/ For a thriving New England Tue, 17 Sep 2013 23:46:02 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.6.1 By: Sandy Levine http://www.clf.org/blog/clean-energy-climate-change/the-lights-will-stay-on-without-vermont-yankee/#comment-2194 Sandy Levine Fri, 11 May 2012 19:19:14 +0000 http://www.clf.org/?p=9342#comment-2194 In place of Vermont Yankee the region would rely on the other available resources including power from Hydro Quebec, renewable resources (wind, solar and biomass), natural gas and increased energy efficiency. To tackle climate change and close Vermont Yankee the region needs to step up efficiency and renewables, so that we do not become overly dependent on natural gas. This will bring the carbon footprint down as the region transitions away from fossil fuels for electricity supply.

Current market conditions suggest increased gas fired generation will be used in the short term with the closing of Vermont Yankee. This will cause a small upward blip in CO2 emissions in the short term.

The age and condition of Vermont Yankee makes retirement inevitable. As with the region’s coal plants, it is all about managing the transition. The presence of old facilities, like Vermont Yankee, that are delaying their retirement in the New England system is distorting the market and muting the signals that would encourage new clean resources to come into the mix.

Power from Vermont Yankee is sold at market prices, which in New England, are largely determined by the price of natural gas. Renewables offer long term price stability, low or no fuel cost, and avoid the health and security impacts of digging uranium from the ground and storing hazardous nuclear waste for generations.

]]> By: Jim http://www.clf.org/blog/clean-energy-climate-change/the-lights-will-stay-on-without-vermont-yankee/#comment-2192 Jim Thu, 10 May 2012 09:54:39 +0000 http://www.clf.org/?p=9342#comment-2192 So a question or 3. What generation would replace Vermont Yankee? What is the carbon footprint comparison between Vermont Yankee and the replacement? And lastly, what is the projected cost differential between the 2?

Looking forward to the answers, Jim

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