Governor Cuomo Announces Public Service Commission Has Approved the Sale of Indian Point
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that the New York State Public Service Commission approved the sale of the Indian Point nuclear power facility to Holtec International subsidiaries.
The PSC approved a negotiated agreement by the State of New York, County of Westchester, local governments, Public Utility Law Project, Riverkeeper, Entergy, the former owner of Indian Point, and Holtec, which provides for the transfer of the nuclear power facility to Holtec for a swift, complete and safe decommissioning and site remediation.
The long-term trajectory ensuring the State’s greenhouse gas emissions reductions targets are met remains on track. Indian Point’s closure has been anticipated by State energy planners for more than a decade and the plant’s continued operation was therefore not included in the State’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction plans. New York State generators must continue to comply with the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative’s carbon cap, ensuring the region’s emissions will continue to decline after Indian Point closes.
New York is part of RGGI, the regional cap and trade program, and the State will continue to stay under the emissions cap, which declines 30 percent between 2021 and 2030. Emissions, specifically CO2 emissions, have reduced consistently over time due to increased efficiency of the grid as a whole. This includes the addition of renewables, the retirement of less efficient generation, the installation of more efficient conventional generation, and more efficient energy usage.
“As Governor and previously as Attorney General, I have been deeply concerned with the safety of the Indian Point nuclear power facility given its proximity to some of the most densely populated areas in the nation,” Governor Cuomo said. “After years of relentless work with our federal, state, and local partners, we have finally been able to close it safely and responsibly and will now move on to the decommissioning phase. This is a win for the health and safety of New Yorkers, and the protection of our environment. Due to the careful planning for the closure, New York remains on track to reliably achieve its clean energy goals.”
In 2017, Entergy—the owner of Indian Point—agreed with Governor Cuomo to close the two remaining operating reactors at the Westchester County site. Unit 2 powered down in April 2020, and Unit 3 was deactivated last month. In November 2019, Entergy and Holtec filed an application for license transfer with the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission and separately filed a petition asking the PSC not to exercise any jurisdiction over the sale of the Indian Point facilities and site.
