By early 2022, 89% of downstate electricity was being produced by fossil fuels, and electricity rates were skyrocketing. So, not surprisingly, Indian Point’s precipitous closure put enormous pressure on the region’s energy supply. New York State has what Vox has called “the country’s most ambitious climate targets, including 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040.” Nonetheless, construction of renewable energy infrastructure in the state is far behind schedule. As many analysts predicted, Indian Point’s electricity was replaced mostly by power coming from natural gas-fired power plants. Former governor Andrew Cuomo-along with the environmental group Riverkeeper and other activists who backed the closure-promised that Indian Point’s electricity would be easily replaced by the state’s growing wind and solar capacity, along with imported hydropower and improved efficiency.
In all, the premature closure of the Buchanan, New York, nuclear plant removed a massive 2,069 megawatts (MW) from the power grid, roughly 25% of the New York City region’s power supply. Unit 2, the plant’s other functional reactor, had gone silent a year earlier. He said the explosion and fire was considered "unusual" because it occurred within the plant's fenced-in protected area.On April 30, 2021, the Indian Point Energy Center shut down Unit 3, its last operating reactor. Indian Point classified the explosion and fire as an "unusual event," the lowest of four levels of emergency classification used by the regulatory agency, Sheehan said. Sheehan said the initial inspection found the plant's procedures and fire-suppression system worked. Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspectors went to the plant Saturday night and will be reviewing what caused the transformer fire. Firefighters from Verplanck and Buchanan entered the plant and used foam to put out the blaze, which was extinguished by 8:05 p.m. Saturday, but flames rekindled at 6:37 p.m., Sheehan said. The fire was first declared out at about 6:15 p.m. The DEC is working with the contractors, Martens said. "It's time to close Indian Point and move on," Riverkeeper President Paul Gallay said.Įntergy has environmental contractors for the clean up, Sheehan said. The Hudson Riverkeeper, an environmental watchdog group, called for the closure of the plant. "We are extremely fortunate that a catastrophic scenario did not unfold, and I urge officials to conduct a swift and thorough investigation." "This latest episode proves that Indian Point remains a serious threat to public health and safety," Lowey said in a statement.
#Indian point nuclear power plant meltdown license#
Nita Lowey, D-Westchester, said Sunday the Nuclear Regulatory Commission should not renew Indian Point's license for their reactors.
He said absorbent booms were in the water, cordoning off two areas outside the plant. Martens said cleanup could take up to several days.
That will be part of an ongoing investigation." "There is no doubt that oil was discharged into the Hudson River," Cuomo said. The excess oil entered the plant's drainage system and discharged into the Hudson River. The transformer contained 80,000 gallons of oil and the spewed fluid overflowed the containment tanker, Martens said. Saturday's oil leak left a sheen of 75-by-100 feet just south of the two reactors, and is likely expanding, said Joseph Martens, commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation. Safety, security and environmental concerns at Indian Point remain a top priority, given the nuclear facility's location on the vibrant Hudson River, Cuomo said. After Saturday's fire, one of the two plants was shut down, and remains closed. Andrew Cuomo said during a news conference Sunday afternoon at the facility. Indian Point has a history of transformer mishaps, but nothing life-threatening, Gov. The transformers are used to step up power produced by the plant before it is transmitted to the grid.Įntergy did not return requests for comment Sunday. The fire didn't cause the release of any radiation and didn't pose a threat to workers or the public, according to a statement by Entergy Corp, the owner of the nuclear power plant. Several thousand gallons may have overflowed the transformer moat." "Oil made its way into the drains and into the water. "The plant's fire suppression system automatically sprayed water on the transformer fire," Sheehan said Sunday. The fire, which began at 5:50 p.m., sent smoke billowing into the air and oil overflowing the plant's moat, said Neil Sheehan, a spokesman for the U.S.
The owners of Indian Point are planning to clean up several thousand gallons of oil that potentially spilled into the Hudson River after a Saturday night transformer explosion and fire. Watch Video: VIDEO: Indian Point Energy Center transformer explosion, May 9, 2015īUCHANAN, N.Y.
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