Entergy to Expedite Vermont Yankee Defueling

The $145 million project, under which nearly 3,000 spent fuel assemblies would be transferred into 45 dry casks by the end of 2020, will depend on the issuance of a certificate of public good from the Vermont Public Service Board. Entergy said it will fund the project through external credit lines rather than from its decommissioning trust fund, describing it as the most cost-effective option.

Entergy spokesman Marty Cohn said the decision to expedite the process was driven by increased personnel and technological capabilities from storage vendor Holtec International. He added that the announcement “demonstrates our commitment to safely and efficiently decommission Vermont Yankee.”

Public Service Department Commissioner Christopher Recchia welcomed Wednesday’s announcement as “good news.”

“We appreciate the effort, and I think this helps the position for continuing to move forward with the restoration of the site,” Recchia said.

The project will include the construction of a second independent spent fuel storage installation pad at the site, procurement of dry fuel storage systems, and transfer of the fuel from the spent fuel pool to dry storage.