Thursday, July 14, 2011

Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant: General Electric Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) Type Nuclear Power Plant


Vermont Yankee is a General Electric boiling water reactor (BWR) type nuclear power plant currently owned by Entergy. It is located in the town of Vernon, Vermont, and generates 620 megawatts (MWe) of electricity at full power. The plant began commercial operations in 1972. It provided 71.8% of all electricity generated in Vermont in 2008, which is 35% of the overall electricity used in the state.

In February 2010, the Vermont Senate voted 26 to 4 against re-licensing of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Plant after 2012, citing radioactive tritium leaks, misstatements in testimony by plant officials, a cooling tower collapse in 2007, and other problems. There is an absence of a clear plan to replace the electricity generated by the plant, which has caused concern among some businesses in Vermont. Executives of Vermont's electric utilities have expressed confidence that they will be able to replace the electricity they now get from the plant.

On March 21, 2011 the Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued their renewal of the operating license for the Vermont Yankee plant for an additional 20 years.; the renewed license will expire March 21, 2032.

The nuclear plant's private owners filed a federal lawsuit on April 18, 2011, against a state law that gives the Vermont state legislature veto power over operation of the reactor when its current license expires next March. Read More

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