Residents in Oswego County are breathing a sigh of relief following the news that Exelon will assume ownership and continue operation of the FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant. The Cuomo administration facilitated the transaction between Exelon and Entergy, the former owner of the power plant. Governor Cuomo calls it a victory for the region and the state.
“From a human, civic, moral point of view, these were 615 jobs, 615 families, thousands of people who have been living in suspense for many months, and their lives would have been upended and devastated," said Cuomo. "There would have been no viable alternative for them.”
The decommissioning of FitzPatrick was set to begin in January without intervention from the state, wiping out half of the county’s tax revenue, and $500 million of annual regional economic activity. The sale of the plant comes just over a week after a decision by the public service commission to include $7.6 billion in subsidies to Exelon’s four upstate nuclear power plants as part of the state’s clean energy standard. Director of State Operations James Milatras says the support is essential to keeping nuclear energy competitive and providing clean energy.
“The concern that we had was that if the nuclear plants were to shut down because of low natural gas prices, then we would lose all of the progress that we have made in the reduction of carbon emissions," Milatras said. "So this 12 year period gives us time for the development of reliable resources.”
Critics of nuclear power still question why the state’s electric ratepayers need to subsidize what they call an unprofitable, unsafe, and dirty form of energy.
