(Host) Democratic gubernatorial candidate Susan Bartlett says there is no compelling reason for the Legislature to extend the license of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant.

Bartlett says Vermont's long-term energy goal should be to renewable energy.

VPR's Bob Kinzel reports

(Kinzel) Lamoille Senator Susan Bartlett is one of four announced candidates seeking the Democratic gubernatorial nomination and she currently serves as the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The re-licensing of the Vermont Yankee plant is expected to be a key issue in the 2010 legislative session.  Several years ago, lawmakers gave themselves the power to review this issue and the license extension can move forward only if the Legislature gives its specific approval to the plan.

Speaking on VPR's Vermont Edition, Bartlett said if the vote were held today, she'd vote no.

(Bartlett) "I went into this with, ‘Give me one good reason to extend the life of the plant that will benefit the state of Vermont and I am willing to support you.' They have so far not produced one good reason to extend the life of the plant."

(Kinzel) For months, the owner of Vermont Yankee, the Entergy Corporation, has been trying to negotiate a new long-term power rate with many of the state's utilities. But to date there's been no agreement. Bartlett thinks there's a good reason why.

(Bartlett) "Because the cost of power on the open market is quite low right now. Because of the national recession, the consumption of electricity in this country is quite low. So power is quite cheap. So they can't afford to offer us a good contract. We can buy power on the open market as cheap or cheaper than they might offer it to us, particularly since they have to cover the cost of cleaning it up."

(Kinzel) Bartlett says the state can replace Vermont Yankee power, in the short term, by using the spot market and, in the long term, by developing more renewable energy sources.

(Bartlett) "We see that there's lots of interest in doing renewable energy in Vermont, from wind towers to giant solar. Long term we are much better economically to produce our own power and keep those jobs in state and keep those dollars in state than we are to ship them out to someone in Louisiana."

(Kinzel) The other announced Democratic candidates are state senator Doug Racine, former state Senator Matt Dunne and Secretary of State Deb Markowitz.    Senate President Peter Shumlin is expected to join the race in about two weeks.

For VPR News, I'm Bob Kinzel in Montpelier