Businesses lobby against Vt. Yankee

Business owners and leaders across the state came together Tuesday to express their desire to shut down Vermont Yankee for good.
"We actually look forward to that closure in two years as both a symptom and a driver of the transformation that is going to revive Vermont's economy," said Will Patten, the director of the group Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility.
The VBSR supports the on-schedule retirement of the nuclear power plant and wants to see Vermont invest in more wind and hydro generation.
"In the long run, this new, locally-sourced renewable power will be much more affordable," Patten said.
The business group says the owners of Vermont Yankee have failed the people of the state.
"Vermonters have lost confidence in Entergy's ability to function as a reliable partner in that effort and Vermont Yankee's ability to operate on a long-term basis," said Roger Fox of the Washington Electric Co-op.
The group also feels that the tritium leak causes Vermont to lose its favorable image and taint other company's worldwide reputations.
"It's very important for us that brand is not jeopardized," said Rob Michalak of Ben & Jerry's.
Employees of Vermont Yankee and residents of the area in which the plant is located feel that its closure will directly affect the local economy and put hundreds of people out of work.
"That end of the state; the restaurants, the lumberyards, the hardware stores, the hotels, it will turn into a ghost town, people that have bought houses in the area, won't be able to sell those things. I want to see Vermont Yankee go forward. My son works there," said Mark Propster of Guilford. "Worst-case scenario, I would have to leave the state and pursue another job, still in the power industry."
Another concern is the threat of Vermont employers that utilize Vermont Yankee power would move out-of-state due to the higher energy costs associated with renewable sources-- potentially driving thousands out of work. The socially responsible business group disputes that.
"It's not going to preserve jobs at IBM, because it's a much better rate of energy. We can buy energy on the open market, for the same if not lower price," said Don Mayer of Small Dog Electronics.
Now the business leaders present at Tuesday's meeting said that the potential loss of jobs in Vermont is clearly a hot topic, but they think it's time to invest in new sectors of the economy, new energy sources, and say that there are two options here; continuing to invest in the status quo, or moving on.
Melinda Davenport - WCAX News