Indian Point630Jan. 6, 2017 - Westchester County has not been a part of any talks to close Indian Point – and that’s a big problem. Any discussion to close Indian Point must have the one million people of Westchester represented at the table.

The impact of a plant closing in Westchester – as well as New York City – and rest of the state will be enormous. The consequences include:

  • The potential loss of more than 1,000 jobs for workers at the plant.
  • The shrinkage of our local tax base. Entergy currently pays $4.5 million to Westchester County, $1 million to the Town of Corlandt and 40 percent of the Hendrick Hudson School District budget.
  • Skyrocketing energy costs, at a time when New York already has the most expensive rates in the continental United States. Indian Point generates 25 percent of the electricity consumed by

Westchester and New York City. There has been no discussion of how that energy is going to be replaced.

Closing Indian Point will wreak unwarranted economic chaos on the county of Westchester. Safety is always our paramount concern, but residents should know that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has repeatedly disagreed with Cuomo’s assessment that the plant is unsafe. As recently as June of last year, the NRC said, “Overall, Indian Point operates safely and continues to operate safely.”