Cuomo, Indian Point Critic, Fighting To Keep Upstate Nuclear Power Plant Open
OSWEGO, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- As he fights to shutterIndian Point, Gov. Andrew Cuomo is vowing to keep another nuclear power plant open.
Entergy Corp., which is trying to relicense Indian Point in Buchanan, plans to close the James A. FitzPatrick plant on Lake Ontario, WCBS 880's Sean Adams reported.
The company said Monday the decision is based on reduced plant revenues due to low natural gas prices, poor market design and high operational costs. Entergy said the facility is losing around $60 million annually.
Cuomo fears closing FitzPatrick would cost upstate more than 600 jobs. His concern about Indian Point is over the potential danger with it being so close to New York City.
Entergy spokesman Jerry Nappi, however, said Indian Point is important to the region.
"It plays a critical role ... to maintaining electric reliability for New York City and Westchester County," he told Adams.
"Indian Point has demonstrated it runs reliably and safely. It achieved the highest safety ratings from the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission for five consecutive years."
Barring intervention by state officials, the 850-megawatt FitzPatrick facility will shut down in late 2016 or early 2017 and begin laying off its 615 employees.
FitzPatrick, located about 40 miles north of Syracuse, began generating electricity in 1975. It produces enough to power more than 800,000 homes.
Entergy is also in the process of decommissioning its Vermont Yankee plant and plans to close its Pilgrim plant in Massachusetts by 2019.
(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)