VERNON, Vt. (WCAX) – The decommissioning of the former Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant remains ahead of schedule, and talks are ongoing about life after Yankee at the site in Vernon.
From just outside the gates of the 140-acre property, which is restricted to the public, it’s clear progress is being made in dismantling Vermont Yankee.
The nuclear plant went offline in 2014 after decades of producing power. Northstar began demolition in 2019.
Northstar provided a decommissioning update back in February. The reactor is no longer there. Fifty-eight spent fuel casks are all that will remain once the decommissioning is complete.
“At first I thought it was going to be crazy with trucks and stuff, but they can only tear down so much at a time,” said Frank LaFlam, whose house abuts the property.
He says for the most part, Yankee has been a good neighbor.
“Whatever goes in there, I don’t want it to drop my property value. Other than that, I am pretty easy to get along with,” LaFlam said.
Northstar has a new tenant called PowerTransitions, which specializes in rebuilding legacy plants like Yankee into high-capacity energy campuses.
“There are millions of dollars in transmission assets right there on the site,” Vermont Public Service Commissioner Kerrick Johnson said.
The Public Service Department has been in talks with PowerTransitions since it first learned of their lease last fall. Possible future uses that have been discussed range from battery storage to solar arrays to small modular reactors and a data center, though nothing is set in stone.
A spokesperson for the company sent a statement that reads: “PowerTransitions continues to engage with the town, state and region to evaluate the best options for the Vermont Yankee site.”
“For the department, what we are looking to do is maximize the effective use of that site consistent with the vision of the community for their energy future, in a way that delivers the greatest amount of value,” Johnson said.
“I hate to see all that land not being taxed,” said Paul Miller of Vernon.
Miller grew up on the farm across the street. The transmission lines are visible from his front yard.
“Right at the moment, I think it is so up in the air. And if there are plans, they haven’t been brought before the town, particularly,” Miller said.
Vernon Select Board Chair Brandon Bucossi was not available for an on-camera interview. He said the town is in regular talks with PowerTransitions and that company officials plan an in-person update this September.
Town officials are hosting a listening session for residents on Tuesday, Aug. 25, to discuss future use of the Vermont Yankee site. It will take place at the community center in Vernon. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m.
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