Engineer says Legislature should vote on nuke

Vermont's former nuclear engineer says that lawmakers should vote this year on whether the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant should get a 20-year license extension beyond its current 2012 expiration date.

William Sherman is now a member of a special public oversight panel that reviewed Vermont Yankee's fitness for re-licensing.

Sherman says plant owner Entergy Nuclear has hurt its own chances of getting legislative action this year by failing to propose terms of a power purchase agreement between Vermont Yankee and the state's electric utilities for the post-2012 period.

Sherman testified Thursday on the panel's report. It says Vermont Yankee could operate reliably for 20 years beyond its initial 40-year license term.