The Save Indian Point Campaign continues

Curtailment and closure of Indian Point Reactor 2 was initiated on April 30th despite the hazards of this work being done during the pandemic. Governor Cuomo and his office ignored petition with over 8,000 signatures as well as our letter with the signatures of hundreds of experts. Entergy, the owner of Indian Point, continues to operate Reactor 3 only through April 30, 2021. Members of this coalition are continuing to oppose both closures and working to restore full operation. Members and organizers of Nuclear New York continue to drive this campaign together with the Climate Coalition and we have two campaigns that need your immediate support.

What you can do right now:

1. Submit a Supporting Comment to the FERC before April 13th. We have a complaint pending at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) that is now in the Federal Register and they are accepting comments. We need everyone to submit supporting comments, as the more comments they get in support of it, the better. There is an April 13th deadline for the comments. The docket number is EL21-61-000; just enter this number into the FERC Library (https://elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/idmws/search/results.asp?searchType=docket)

 

2. Add your name and your organization’s name in support of our campaign to Protect Nuclear Now by having President Biden issue an Emergency Declaration to create a moratorium on the closure of nuclear power plants: In addition to the two Indian Point reactors that Governor Cuomo has needlessly condemned for his personal political gain, there are another 18 reactors that are threatened for a variety of reasons but predominantly because of the lack of value placed on clean generation throughout both RTOs and ISO transmission areas. Please see our campaign site at Protect Nuclear Now and share it with your networks, so that we can send Secretary Granholm a letter with a very long list of supporters. 

 

3. Consider Joining our Coalition:  Members of the Climate Coalition are all affiliated with other local or national groups but we collaborate on campaigns to try to save our carbon-free, pollutant-free nuclear and prevent the pertpetual, carbon-emitting and planet-suffocating increase in generation from natural gas, which operates at the speed of corruption, whether you are in New York, California or anywhere else around the world.  You can sign up to participate here.

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Why we need Indian Point to continue to operate:

1. IP’s clean nuclear power is being replaced with dirty gas power. This increases air pollution along with rates of respiratory disease and death for New Yorkers. Don’t be fooled, Indian Point has not been replaced by other clean energy sources and won’t be for at least the duration of Indian Point’s existing NRC license.

2. Adds grid vulnerability, reduces resiliency: Governor Cuomo has increased NYC’s grid vulnerability by making imported gas the only source of power. By eliminating NYC’s largest source clean energy and its only nuclear power plant, there will no longer be energy diversification and this reduces energy resilience should there be a problem with the delivery of gas by pipeline to the city. 

3. Hypocritcal Climate Reversal: Closing carbon-free, pollutant-free nuclear and increasing generation from gas moves New York two large steps backward on climate. This goes against everything New Yorkers have been promised from the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act and increase New York’s carbon dioxide emissions by 10 to 15 million tons annually. 

4. Increases Coronavirus mortalities: Increasing dirty energy from new gas plants directly threatens all New Yorkers, as Covid-19 mortality rates are directly linked to levels of pollution. New studies have also found that coronavirus may spread when it makes contact with the particulate pollution in the air!

5. Eliminates 1,000 clean energy jobs in NY: Hudson River Valley towns will lose a thousand highly skilled, technical jobs at Indian Point when it is closed. For the surrounding communities and businesses, these losses will be crippling for families unable to replace jobs, especially during this pandemic.

6. Ignores the scientific advice: Governor Cuomo is the consummate politician and claims to follows the advice of experts. Yet the experts say that we cannot afford to shutter nuclear power if it means increasing emissions. Cuomo made that exact argument to save upstate New York’s three nuclear power plants but he chose to kowtow to the environmental and gas (i.e. fossil fuel) lobbies which both see nuclear as “competition” to advance his political prospects in the downstate area.

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Closing Indian Point is a bad deal for New Yorkers!
There is a great deal of expert information available here and at Nuclear New York, which has been focusing on the issue of Indian Point for a long time. We also recommend you visit our other coalition partner groups, including Stop Cricket Valley, Protect Orange County, Footprint to Wings, Generation Atomic, and others devoted to supporting clean nuclear energy in New York State and everywhere. Please take the time to learn more and support our efforts to compel Cuomo to prioritize protecting our climate, clean air and health by suspending the permanent closure of New York’s largest source of clean energy until all fossil generation is closed.

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Climate activists who #KnowNukes don’t say “No Nukes,” they say “Save our nuclear and shut down natural gas!”