Good Laugh For Today: New York State Says It Will Build A New Nuclear Power Plant

In case you missed it, here is New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s breathless announcement from yesterday:  “Governor Hochul Directs New York Power Authority to Develop a Zero-Emission Advanced Nuclear Energy Technology Power Plant.”   And here is Hochul’s picture of herself making the announcement: [Video at link]

Does something here seem like it doesn’t quite fit?  Yes, it was just four years ago, in April 2021, that New York completed the forced closure of the two perfectly functional Indian Point nuclear plants, with combined generating capacity of about 2 GW, for no other reason than relentless opposition from environmentalists and NIMBYs.  And yet now the Governor is saying that the plan is to start over and build a new nuclear plant at some unspecified place.

Before getting to a few of the problems, let’s start with some of the excited language from the Governor’s press release:

Governor Kathy Hochul today directed the New York Power Authority (NYPA) to develop and construct a zero-emission advanced nuclear power plant in Upstate New York to support a reliable and affordable electric grid, while providing the necessary zero-emission electricity to achieve a clean energy economy. . . .  “As New York State electrifies its economy, deactivates aging fossil fuel power generation and continues to attract large manufacturers that create good-paying jobs, we must embrace an energy policy of abundance that centers on energy independence and supply chain security to ensure New York controls its energy future,” Governor Hochul said. . . .