The state will conduct annual inspections of the plant relating to operational, regulatory, and environmental matters. The Public Service Commission's Indian Point contingency plan and other planning efforts have ensured that more than adequate power resources are able to come online by 2021 to ensure reliability of the power grid.

Entergy will submit a six-year license application to NRC. Entergy, New York State, and other organizations will terminate litigation against one another. However, the state retains authority to bring additional action against Entergy if new cases arise.

There will be continued employment at the plant throughout the closure process and, under the terms of its agreement with New York State, Entergy will offer plant employees new jobs at other facilities.

Indian Point's closure is not expected to have an adverse impact on carbon emissions at the regional level. Through the regional greenhouse gas initiative, the state will continue to drive reductions in greenhouse gases across the power sector.

The agreement provides time to plan for—and mitigate—impacts to local tax revenues. Entergy's previously agreed upon payments, in lieu of taxes to local government entities and school districts will continue through 2021, before being gradually stepped down at a negotiated level following shutdown. The state will also work with local communities to address potential revenue shortfalls, similar to how it has worked with communities affected by other plant closures through the existing fossil fuel plant retirement fund.​​

Watch GlobeSt.com on Tuesday for more on Governor Cuomo's State of the State address.

BUCHANAN, NY—As part of his State of the State address Monday, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the closure of the Indian Point Energy Center here by April 2021. The aging, 2,000 megawatt nuclear power plant, located 25 miles north of New York City, reportedly has presented numerous threats to the safety of over 20 million residents and the environmental health of the area.

After litigation and negotiation, operating firm Entergy Corp. has agreed to end all operations at the facility, with plans to shut down Indian Point Unit 2 as early as April 2020 and Unit 3 in April 2021. The state plans to continue closely monitoring Entergy to ensure public safety and mitigate safety risks associated with the plant, including for storage of spent nuclear fuel.

“For 15 years, I have been deeply concerned by the continuing safety violations at Indian Point, especially given its location in the largest and most densely populated metropolitan region in the country,” says Cuomo. “This administration has been aggressively pursuing and incentivizing the development of clean, reliable energy, and the state is fully prepared to replace the power generated by the plant at a negligible cost​ to ratepayers.”
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Indian Point reportedly has been plagued by numerous safety and operational problems, including faulty bolts, and various leaks and fires. The densely populated surrounding region lacks viable evacuation routes in the event of a disaster, and the plant has experienced more than 40 safety and operational events and unit shut downs since 2012. The plant also has been cited as the most vulnerable such facility to earthquakes in the nation.

In the event of an emergency situation such as a terrorist attack affecting electricity generation, the State may agree to allow Indian Point to continue operating in two-year increments but no later than April 2024 and April 2025 for Units Two and Three, respectively.

The state will conduct annual inspections of the plant relating to operational, regulatory, and environmental matters. The Public Service Commission's Indian Point contingency plan and other planning efforts have ensured that more than adequate power resources are able to come online by 2021 to ensure reliability of the power grid.

Entergy will submit a six-year license application to NRC. Entergy, New York State, and other organizations will terminate litigation against one another. However, the state retains authority to bring additional action against Entergy if new cases arise.

There will be continued employment at the plant throughout the closure process and, under the terms of its agreement with New York State, Entergy will offer plant employees new jobs at other facilities.

Indian Point's closure is not expected to have an adverse impact on carbon emissions at the regional level. Through the regional greenhouse gas initiative, the state will continue to drive reductions in greenhouse gases across the power sector.

The agreement provides time to plan for—and mitigate—impacts to local tax revenues. Entergy's previously agreed upon payments, in lieu of taxes to local government entities and school districts will continue through 2021, before being gradually stepped down at a negotiated level following shutdown. The state will also work with local communities to address potential revenue shortfalls, similar to how it has worked with communities affected by other plant closures through the existing fossil fuel plant retirement fund.​​

Watch GlobeSt.com on Tuesday for more on Governor Cuomo's State of the State address.