Dive Summary:
- Judge Christina Reiss of the U.S. District Court tossed out Entergy Corp.'s lawsuit against the state of Vermont.
- Entergy, owner of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power station, sued after the state legislature increased the nuclear plant's annual state tax from $5 million to $12.8 million.
- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved a 20-year extension on the plant's 40-year operating license that expired in March; taxes on the plant were increased to replace an agreement on the plant's power output and radioactive waste storage that expired along with the previous operating license.
From the article:
"... Supporters of the new taxes said they were designed to replace money the plant paid the state under agreements in 2003 and 2005 that saw the state drop its opposition to the plant boosting its power output by 20 percent and to the plant's plan for storage of more highly radioactive nuclear waste on its grounds. Those agreements lasted until March 21, when the plant's 40-year operating license expired. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved a 20-year license extension last year.
Vermont Yankee, in the lawsuit, argued that it had fulfilled its obligations under the power boost and waste storage agreements and should be free to operate without paying more to the state."