Comments to the Public Service Board by Tomorrow

Important Update

Appeals Court Rules for Vermont Yankee!

In a sixty-page ruling, the federal appeals court upheld the lower court ruling that the state had overstepped its authority in attempting to shut down Vermont Yankee.

Here's a link to the WCAX story on the ruling, which includes a short video.  Here's a link to the ruling itself.  Here's the AP story by Dave Gram, with some excellent quotes from the ruling.

I have not read the entire ruling, but it apparently affirms the role of the state Public Service Board in approving Vermont Yankee.  So comments to the PSB are still VERY useful and important!  So send in your comments!  Here's the link to the comment form for this docket. http://psb.vermont.gov/docketsandprojects/public-comment?docket=7862



Comments in Favor of a Certificate of Public Good

Howard Shaffer
At a Rally for VY

Vermont Yankee requires a Certificate of Public Good from the Vermont Public Service Board  in order to continue to operate.  The Board is still accepting public comments regarding the petition. The Board does read all the comments.

As far as I can tell, comments will be accepted through the end of the month, but it is best if they are sent by Thursday, August 15. That is TOMORROW.  (The PSB schedule is a bit unclear, and comments may be  accepted later than tomorrow, but better to be safe than sorry.)

Send your comments by tomorrow night, if you can.

You can submit a comment by clicking here.

How to Get Started

Use your own perspective in your comments.  For example, if you are concerned with global warming, you might want to comment about Vermont Yankee's low-carbon electricity.  If you are involved in real estate, you could discuss the impacts the closure of the facility would have on property values in the area.

Please share this link with friends and family and encourage them to voice their support as well.

Short Comments are Fine!

Long, thoughtful comments are always very welcome, but one or two sentences in support of the plant are very helpful.  You can write a great letter, or you can write a short postcard!  We have some inspirational comments below. 

Peter Lothes
Speaking at November PSB hearing

Inspiration from Others

Here are links to three (of many) inspiring comments made to the Public Service Board in favor of the Certificate.

Dianne Amme's excellent short comment: Affordable, Reliable Electricity 

Peter Lothes comment on Vermont Yankee versus other sources: Power, Carbon and Costs

Lindsay Rose on economics: Young Workers in Windham County

The Importance of Vermont Yankee

Here are some facts about Vermont Yankee that may be helpful to your writing.

Vermont Yankee is a key component of the area's economy and community.  Here are a few reasons why its operation until 2032 is important for the region:

• Vermont Yankee is a valuable employer. It provides more than 600 jobs in the area, and is a key source of clean and affordable electricity for the region.
• Vermont Yankee provides millions of dollars of revenue for state and local government, as well as donating tens of thousands of dollars to local non-profits.
• Vermont Yankee provides both jobs and critical economic activity for the State of Vermont. Closing the plant would undoubtedly cause many young Vermonters to leave the state in search of jobs.
• Vermont Yankee is a clean, low-carbon manufacturer power source and will be a critical element of Vermont's energy future. The plant's ongoing operation can help incorporate new sources of clean and reliable power while stabilizing electric rates.



Dianne Amme speaking
at November PSB hearing

• Unlike coal and gas plants, Vermont Yankee is a very low-carbon energy source.  It also avoids the many types of air pollution (acid gases, particulates) of most other base-load sources of power.

Just Do It!

Make sure the Public Service Board hears what YOU have to say!

http://psb.vermont.gov/docketsandprojects/public-comment?docket=7862

Young Workers in Windham County: Guest Post by Lindsay Rose

Lindsay Rose
Recent Graduate
Vermont Yankee Employee

Good evening commissioners,

My name is Lindsay Rose, and I would like to first thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak to you this evening. I’m from Hinsdale, New Hampshire and graduated from UNH in 2010. About a year after I graduated I got a job at Vermont Yankee where I found an exciting opportunity, a well-paying job, and a company with good community values.

It’s a fact that the demographics in Windham County are changing. From 2000 to 2010, the number of older workers, or the baby boomer generation, increased, but the number of young workers, aged 25 to 44, declined.  Basically Windham County’s future workforce is leaving.

Vermont’s future workforce will be looking for opportunity: A steady job, a well-paying job, a company that gives back to their community, and an industry that’s contributing to the overall good and health of our country. VY provides these jobs: more than 600 of them. It was ranked among the Best Places to Work for the last three years in a row by Vermont Business Magazine; VY management encourages volunteerism in our communities; and the nuclear energy industry is contributing to a clean, safe, reliable energy future.

Vermont Yankee is a company that brings professionals to Vermont. These professionals include recent graduates like me, and our country’s military veterans with nuclear experience who are ready to bring their skills and experiences to Vermont. Vermont Yankee is an essential economic driver and is a business that provides career opportunities that keep people in Vermont.

At Vermont Yankee I have a steady, well-paying job, I’m encouraged to learn and take on new activities and experiences, and I’m given opportunities to help the community by participating in VY’s many volunteer activities. This year I joined my co-workers and helped remodel the Brattleboro Drop In Center, I’m supporting Project Feed the Thousands, and I have begun volunteering for Big Brothers Big Sisters.

I’ve chosen to stay in the area specifically because of my job at Vermont Yankee and I enjoy living in the area. The opportunities that I’ve described are what keep me working at VY, and are what keep me in the area. If I didn’t have these opportunities at Vermont Yankee, I would find them elsewhere. This is a great place to live if you have a good job, but I couldn’t live here without one. Thank you for considering my comments.

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This is the second in a series of posts which share statements made in favor of Vermont Yankee at the Public Service Board hearing on November 7, 2012.

Ms. Rose spoke on behalf of herself as a personal statement.