Senate Committee Approves Vermont Yankee Bill

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The Senate Finance Committee late yesterday unanimously agreed to send a bill regarding Vermont Yankee's relicensure to the full Senate.

The committee voted 7-0, without recommendation. That bill — S. 289 — is expected to be debated on the Senate floor next Wednesday. The full text of the bill is below.

The bill, if approved, would allow the Vermont Public Service Board and other state regulatory agencies to issue a 20-year license extension after conducting their own investigation.

If the Senate approves the bill, it moves to the House. If the Senate votes no, then it means the issue is likely dead — legislatively — for this session. The House could take up its own version, but that appears unlikely.

This does not prohibit another bill from being introduced when a new legislature is convened in January, nor does it close down entirely the investigations currently under way by the Public Service Board, the Public Service Department, and the attorney general.

Whether the case ends up in federal court remains an open question, but the Senate vote may not be the trigger that sends it there — at least not if there is hope for another vote down the road.

For now, however, as I point out in this week's "Fair Game," it does provide a political boost to Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin.

Check out Seven Days' complete Vermont Yankee coverage from this week's special issue on this hot issue.

Introduced by Committee on Finance

Subject: Energy; public service; nuclear power; Vermont Yankee. Statement of purpose: This bill proposes to determine that the continued operation of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station beyond its scheduled closure on March 21, 2012 will promote the general welfare and to approve for an additional 20 years the continued operation of the station and the storage of spent fuel at the station.

An act relating to approval for continued operation of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power station

It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:

Sec. 1. FINDINGS

(a) Under a certificate of public good issued by the Vermont Public Service Board in 2002 under Docket No. 6545, the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station (VNYPS) is scheduled to cease generating electricity on March 21, 2012.

(b) Pursuant to 30 V.S.A. § 248(e)(2), in order to continue operation beyond March 21, 2012, the VYNPS must obtain the general assembly’s approval and determination that continued operation of the station will promote the general welfare.

(c) Pursuant to Sec. 1(f) of No. 160 of the Acts of the 2005 Adj. Sess. (2006) and chapter 157 of Title 10, the general assembly is to consider, concurrently with the question of continued operation, whether to approve the storage of spent nuclear fuel derived from the operation of the VYNPS after March 21, 2012.

(d) The general assembly has a responsibility to provide the state’s electric utilities with sufficient time to plan for the future delivery of electric energy to the state’s residents.

(e) If the VYNPS were to cease operation as scheduled on March 21, 2012, the electric utilities would benefit from prior lead time to develop and obtain renewable or other alternative electric energy resources.

(f) The general assembly has engaged in full, open, and informed public deliberation and discussion with respect to the factors pertinent to continued operation of and storage of spent nuclear fuel at the VYNPS after its currently scheduled closure date.

Sec. 2. VERMONT YANKEE; CONTINUED OPERATION; APPROVAL

(a) The general assembly determines that continued operation of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station (VYNPS) for 20 years following its currently scheduled closure date of March 21, 2012 will promote the general welfare of this state.

(b) The general assembly finds that storage of spent nuclear fuel derived from the operation of the VYNPS for 20 years following the currently scheduled closure date of March 21, 2012 will promote the general good of this state.

(c) The general assembly approves until March 21, 2032 the continued operation of the VYNPS and the storage of spent nuclear fuel derived from the operation of the VYNPS, provided that the VYNPS obtains from the public service board and any other agencies such certificates, permits, and approvals related to continued operation of the VYNPS and storage of spent fuel at the VYNPS as are required by law.

Comments

[sean]

Let there be no mistake, this vote is about one thing, and one thing alone: Shumlin's campaign for Governor. Remember, it was only a few weeks ago that Shumlin said the Legislature would never vote on VY in 2010.