US-based energy company Entergy has announced plans to close the third unit of its Indian Point Energy Centre nuclear reactor permanently by 30 April. The 1,041MW reactor in Buchanan, New York, has delivered virtually carbon-free power for almost 60 years.
In 2017, Entergy announced it would be closing down both operating PWRs at the Indian Point Energy Center, citing a number of factors, including wholesale energy prices that had eaten into revenues. Unit 2 was shut down on April 30, 2020, reports World Nuclear News.
“Indian Point has been operated and maintained at the highest levels of reliability, safety and security for many years, and unit 3 has been online continuously since April 9, 2019 – setting a new world record for continuous days of operation,” Entergy Chief Nuclear Officer Chris Bakken said.
“Indian Point’s enduring legacy will be the thousands of men and women who operated the plant safely, reliably, and securely, while helping to power New York City and the lower Hudson Valley for nearly 60 years. We owe those who serve now, along with those who came before them, a debt of gratitude.”
The shutdown of the nuclear power plant along the Hudson River ends a decades-long contentious battle over it’s closing. Opponents have repeatedly called the power plant a threat to millions living in the densely packed region.
ABC7 News points out that the retirement of the nuclear plant will increase New York’s dependence on natural gas plants, despite the state’s goal of reducing carbon emissions.
However, Paul Gallay, president of the environmental group Riverkeeper, says: “There are 20 million people living within 50 miles of Indian Point and there is no way to evacuate them in case of a radiological release. And the risk of that is quite real.”
In its defense, Entergy spokesperson Jerry Nappi said Indian Point has run reliably and safely virtually without interruption since 1962, when the first long-since-retired reactor went online at the site of an old amusement park.
The Daily Energy Insider writes there is good news for Entergy. Last year, in April, the energy company had a 100MW solar project approved by the Arkansas Public Service Commission (PSC).
The Searcy Solar Project is located in White County, Arkansas will be the largest solar project in the state. It will feature 10 megawatts of battery storage and is slated to be operational in later this year. The project is being built on about 800 acres east of Eastline Road. It will include a 10-megawatt array of lithium-ion batteries capable of storing up to 30 MW hours of electricity.
