Campaigns & Cases > Stop Polluters > Beyond Indian Point > A Future Without Indian Point

A Future Without Indian Point

Indian Point’s nuclear power is neither clean nor green, and the process needed to create fuel from uranium for its reactors is energy-intensive and creates greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. Riverkeeper supports New York State’s plan for reliable, sustainable power sources. The investment in truly clean and green energy production such as wind, solar, and biofuels, and offering incentives to encourage Smart Energy use by consumers would drastically reduce our contributions to global warming and reduce our dependency on nuclear power.

In 2011 and 2012, Riverkeeper and NRDC commissioned an authoritative study by Synapse Energy (downloadable reports below) that changed the public conversation by describing the true cost – between $1 and $5 per month for the average consumer – of switching to electricity that is safer and readily available. Two key New York State Assembly committees came to the same conclusion: The question is not “if” we can replace Indian Point but “how.”

In the fall of 2012, the Public Service Commission (PSC) ordered Consolidated Edison to create a contingency plan for the closure of Indian Point. A draft plan was released by ConEd in February that proposed upgrades to the state’s power grid that would allow more power to be transmitted from upstate New York, easily replacing Indian Point’s output. Riverkeeper joined NRDC and the Pace Energy and Climate Center in commenting on the draft plan, offering our general support but pushing for more emphasis on renewable energy sources and energy efficiency in the plan.

IP Closure 2017 Update: Powering Ahead Without Indian Point

  • Synapse Reports

Tell Gov. Hochul to block invasive species at the Erie and Champlain canals
Become a Member