Entergy Head Says Re-licensing Federal Jurisdiction

The head of the company that owns Vermont Yankee is saying that the plant's future is a matter of federal jurisdiction. He insists the plant is fit for another twenty years of operation.

This is the clearest sign yet that the fight over the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant's relicensing may end up in federal court.

In a conference call yesterday, Entergy CEO J. Wayne Leonard rejected the state's calls to close Vermont Yankee when its license expires next year.

One looming question is whether the state of Vermont can make that call, or whether the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission has exclusive jurisdiction over reactors. The NRC is expected to approve Vermont Yankee's continued operation later this year.