Lawler Announces Plan to Rebuild Indian Point

Effort would cost $10+ billion and require governor's approval
Rep. Mike Lawler believes he's found the answer to soaring energy bills.
Standing at the shuttered Indian Point nuclear power plant in Buchanan on Friday (March 6) under cold and drizzling skies, the Republican, whose House district includes Philipstown, announced an ambitious plan to rebuild and reopen the plant.
"Hudson Valley families are being suffocated with rising energy costs because of Gov. [Kathy] Hochul's failed and disastrous energy policies," he said. "It is time to reverse course."
He was flanked by Chris Wright, the secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy, and Kris Singh, the CEO of Holtec International, the firm that owns and is in the process of decommissioning the plant.

The announcement came as the Trump administration is attempting to have 10 new nuclear reactors under construction by 2030, and three smaller, experimental reactors up and running by July 4 of this year.
It also comes as New York grapples with its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which cause global warming. To reach its ambitious benchmarks, the state may need to modify its 2019 climate law, which requires New York to get 70 percent of its power from renewable energy by 2030 and 100 percent zero-emissions by 2040.
Nuclear energy is not renewable, but it is zero-emissions.
Wright estimated that Indian Point could be reopened in five years for "a little more than" $10 billion. "The only reason this won't happen is if the politicians don't let it happen," he said.
When Indian Point shut down in 2021, a legal agreement went into effect stating that no more nuclear energy could be produced at the site without the unanimous consent of the Village of Buchanan, the Town of Cortlandt, Westchester County, New York State and the Hendrick Hudson School District. Although both the county and the state recently reaffirmed their commitment to keep the plant closed, Lawler thinks the governor can be convinced.
"Kathy Hochul has said a lot of things over the years, including that she wouldn't approve NESE," he said, referring to the Northeast Supply Enhancement pipeline. "And look what happened, she did. She said she wouldn't do congestion pricing, and look at what happened. So, I don't really care what Kathy Hochul has previously said. The question is: Is there the political will to actually do something to drive down energy costs?"
At least one of the five municipalities is on board. Buchanan Mayor Theresa Knickerbocker said that she supports reopening. "It was a mistake to close this," she said. "It was reliable base power. I'm not against renewables. But nuclear is part of the energy equation."
Getting the other four stakeholders to agree will be an uphill battle. Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins said on Friday that he hasn't changed his mind.
"Let me be clear — because apparently I was not clear enough for Congressman Lawler and the Trump Administration — restarting the Indian Point nuclear power plant is not welcome in Westchester County," he said in a statement. "New York State already has access to a range of low-cost, environmentally responsible energy alternatives, including solar, wind, geothermal and hydropower. We do not need — and we do not want — Indian Point back online. The health and safety of millions of residents in the Hudson Valley will always matter more than reopening a nuclear facility."
Ken Lovett, a senior communications advisor on energy and the environment for Hochul, said Friday that the governor also isn't interested.
"The governor has emphatically stated she will not support the re-opening of Indian Point and is instead pushing her Ratepayer Protection Plan and a realistic energy strategy designed to keep the lights on and costs down," he said, referring to a suite of policies Hochul announced in January aimed at lowering energy bills, including tying executive pay for utility CEOs to affordability and energy assistance programs.

"It's hypoc...