Maine considers nuclear energy law change
The Maine legislature is considering a proposal to amend state laws regarding the siting and construction of new nuclear power plants. The bill known as LD 1313, “An Act To Amend the Laws Regarding Nuclear Power Generating Facilities”, is listed as a “Governor’s Bill”, indicating its origin from Maine Governor Paul LePage. What might LD 1313 mean for Maine?
Maine is not currently home to any operating nuclear power plants. From 1972 to 1996, the Maine Yankee Nuclear Power Plant operated a 900 megawatt reactor in Wiscasset. While it operated, Maine Yankee was the state’s largest generator of electricity. But a Nuclear Regulatory Commission investigation launched in 1995 identified safety and other problems that ultimately rendered continued plant operation uneconomic; the site was decommissioned from 1997 through 2005, with spent fuel remaining on site to date.
