NEI files in support of New York ZEC programme

The state of New York's Zero-Emissions Credit (ZEC) programme, which will compensate nuclear plants for continued operation, is a logical extension of similar renewable energy credit (REC) programmes, the US Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) has told a federal appeals court. Meanwhile, Michael Shellenberger - head of the Environmental Progress environmental research and policy organisation, which campaigned to support the New York initiative - has announced his intention to run for governor of California.

Michael Shellenberger (centre) and fellow supporters celebrating the New York State PSC's approval of the CES in August 2016 (Image: Environmental Progress)

New York State's Public Service Commission (PSC) in August 2016 approved a Clean Energy Standard (CES) explicitly recognising the zero-carbon contribution of nuclear power plants and ensuring the continued operation of four that had been at risk of premature closure. New York's six reactors - the single-unit FitzPatrick and Ginna plants and the twin-unit Indian Point and Nine Mile Point plants - produce about 31% of the state's electricity.

The New York PSC's approval was challenged by fossil fuel generators but upheld by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. NEI's latest brief, filed on 24 November, opposes an appeal of that decision.

Michael Shellenberger, president of the Environmental Progress research and policy organisation, has announced his intention to run for the governorship of California. Announcing his intention to run as an independent candidate, Shellenberger described the present governor, Jerry Brown, as anti-nuclear. "I am left with one option to save our largest source of clean energy, and our state, and that's to run for Governor," Shellenberger said.

"New York's ZEC programme is a commitment to clean energy because it targets the largest source of clean energy in the state and country: nuclear power. The ZEC programme is an extension of widely-used REC programmes, and solidly links itself to New York's climate goals," the Washington, DC-based policy organisation of the US nuclear technologies industry said in its brief to the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

"The wrong decision here would unnecessarily rob not only New York, but many other states of their best tools in the fight against climate change, just as these zero-carbon sources are most at risk."

Groups including the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Environmental Defense Fund; the states of California, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington; energy law scholars; and independent economists also filed briefs in support of New York's ZEC program, the NEI said yesterday.

The New York lawsuit follows similar action in Illinois, where the NEI has also taken steps to support the state's ZEC programme. Both the New York and Illinois cases now are in the appeals phase.

Researched and written
by World Nuclear News