With regards to "State power plants aging," Jan. 7, a few important points should be noted:
After nearly a decade of not being on the books, New York in 2011 passed a siting law to expedite the consideration of power plant proposals. This will curtail frivolous and disruptive lawsuits and is an important development for those making these large-scale capital investments.
With regard to Indian Point, the plant has been thoroughly modernized through $1 billion in capital investments Entergy has made over the past decade. Indian Point operated safely and as designed through Superstorm Sandy and Hurricane Irene. The independent experts at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission have also thoroughly reviewed the operations of the plant since it applied for a 20-year license renewal in 2007 — and recommended that the renewal be granted.
To meet current and future demands, particularly as we look to increase the use of hybrid and electric cars, New York needs to keep its clean sources of power and add to them.
It takes a minimum of five years to propose and build new plants. Yet, today, the not-in-my-backyard opposition is stronger than ever. To assume new plants, funded with large amounts of private capital, will come online in a flurry of activity is shortsighted.
ARTHUR "JERRY" KREMER
Chairman
New York Affordable
Reliable Electricity Alliance
New York