Entergy’s Board Approves Yankee Re-fueling

(Host) The owner of Vermont Yankee has decided to make a multi-million-dollar investment in new fuel, even though the future of the nuclear plant is uncertain.

Entergy's board of directors voted to spend $60 million to buy replacement fuel rods for the plant in Vernon.

The plant will be shut down in October for a month while a third of the fuel assemblies are replaced. Other routine maintenance is planned for the same time.

Entergy's original license to operate the plant expires in March. It's won an extension from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to operate for another 20 years.

But the state Legislature has refused to grant permission for a state operating permit. And that led Entergy to sue the state in federal court to overturn the state law.

A trial in that case is scheduled for next month. Entergy lawyers say they're confident they'll win the suit, and that's why the company went forward with the refueling plans.