Federal judge rules Vt. Yankee can stay open - NEWS10 ABC: Albany, New York News, Weather, Sports

Federal judge rules Vt. Yankee can stay open

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - A federal judge in Vermont has ruled that the state's only nuclear plant can remain open beyond its originally scheduled shutdown date this year, despite efforts by state government to close the 40-year-old reactor.

The ruling Thursday is a win for New Orleans-based Entergy Corp., which had argued during a three-day trial in September that Vermont's efforts to close the Vermont Yankee plant were pre-empted by federal law.

The federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission granted Vermont Yankee a 20-year license extension in March. But state law required Vermont lawmakers to support keeping the plant open as well. A bill to grant legislative approval died in the state Senate in 2010, and the House has never acted.

The state is expected to appeal.
      
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