VERNON, Vt. — Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee reduced its workforce to 136 employees on Thursday, the company announced.
A total of 80 workers either retired or left the company Thursday, while 13 employees transferred to another Entergy facility. Of the 93 employees, 24 are Massachusetts residents
Following shutdown of the 41-year-old nuclear plant in December 2014, Vermont Yankee began the first phase of its reduced operation the following month with 343 employees.
Vermont Yankee had 625 employees in August of 2013, when it announced it would close at the end of 2014. Because their average salary was over $100,000, the economic impact to the tri-state region has been significant, economic planners have said.
The company has sought opportunities for Vermont Yankee employees at other Entergy facilities, as well as conducted workshops on retirement and career building, according to an Entergy press statement. Between January 2015 and April, 2016, 50 employees transferred to other Entergy facilities and 64 left the company.
Plant spokesman Martin Cohn said that in 2020, there will be another separation once all the spent fuel has been placed on the dry cask storage pad.
“At this time, we estimate less than 60 employees will be at Vermont Yankee beyond 2020 until decommissioning begins,” he said.