Dear VC editor,

With the disparity between future energy supply and demand in this nation, nuclear power represents a vital segue to a long-term energy solution. Uranium supplies are finite and will become increasingly expensive and contested as they dwindle, but for now our other options are not sufficient to remove nuclear power from the energy equation. Recent developments at Vermont Yankee and other aging reactors around the nation may force us to prematurely shut down existing reactors and will likely, in a fashion similar to Three Mile Island, effectively halt the research and development of new, modern facilities.

There is little that would stop the newly resurgent nuclear industry faster than a failure of an existing facility. As such it is very much in all of our best interest for the nuclear industry to stop glossing over issues and to shut down sites that pose a significant risk to the present and future of our nation and the nuclear industry. To do otherwise is classic pennywise pound-foolish and will ultimately lead to the premature demise of America's nuclear power industry resulting in a large negative impact on our economy. We should be looking across the Atlantic Ocean for answers where many European nations are using smaller, efficient nuclear sites while developing clean, renewable sources for the inevitable post nuclear era.

The NRC and Entergy's current “pay no attention to that man behind the curtain” approach does nothing but insult the intelligence of New Englanders and remove any semblance of credibility from both entities.

Anders Holm
Middlebury, VT