November 18, 2015

Entergy Formalizes FitzPatrick Closure

By ExchangeMonitor

Despite reports that Entergy and New York officials have been negotiating to avoid closure of the FitzPatrick nuclear power plant, the energy company on Wednesday gave the Nuclear Regulatory Commission formal notice that the 40-year-old facility will close permanently.

In a notice issued Wednesday, Entergy Northern Fleet COO John Ventosa told the NRC the plant will cease operations at the end of the current fuel cycle. "A more specific date cannot be provided at this time in order to allow for fuel coastdown variavles," Ventosa stated. Prior reports indicated the closure would occur in late 2016 or early 2017.

Ventosa cited the “continued deteriorating economics of the facility” as cause for the closure. In annoucning the shutdown earlier this month, the company blamed the plant’s demise on low natural gas prices, increased operational expenses, and a poor market design that fails to compensate nuclear energy.

As of press time Wednesday, Entergy, the NRC, and the office of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo had not offered additional comment on the situation.

Entergy closed its Vermont Yankee plant at the end of 2014 and in October announced that its Pilgrim facility in Massachusetts would close no later than 2019. The closures will leave the company with two operating nuclear power generating facilities: Palisades in Michigan and Indian Point in New York.

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