Alternatives to Indian Point

I think Cuomo is on the right track here:

Consolidated Edison must work with the New York Power Authority to develop a plan to address power needs if the Indian Point nuclear power plant were closed, a state agency that regulates utilities has decided.

The Public Service Commission announced Tuesday that it gave Con Ed the directive. It’s part of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Energy Highway initiative that seeks to ensure the state’s energy grid is advanced, can meet current and future energy needs, and promotes investment by businesses in the state, a commission news release said.

Cuomo, state attorney general Eric Schneiderman and others have called for Indian Point’s closure, saying its location, in Buchanan, in the midst of a densely populated region is too dangerous. Entergy, Indian Point’s owner, is seeking permission from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to continue operating them for an additional 20 years after the current 40-year licenses expire next year and in 2015.

Con Ed said in a statement that it will work on the contingency plan.

Good. Of course, you cannot help but wonder if Con Ed will undertake this study in good faith. The solution is to decentralize our grid. Utility companies don't want this because people will use less power and these companies will make less money.

But Indian Point needs to go away. It's an outdated facility in a too-dense population zone. If there were a meltdown, most of the lower Hudson Valley would become uninhabitable for generations -- including much of the city, potentially. Hopefully, this study will show that we can make this transition with relative ease.