BRATTLEBORO, Vt. — Entergy Nuclear is fighting the Vermont Public Utility Commission’s plans to hire a private consultant to help it analyze the proposed sale of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant and plans to decommission the closed reactor.
In a motion filed with the PUC last week, Entergy said the hiring of the consultant “improperly goes beyond what has traditionally been allowed.”
The company said it was concerned the consultant would have a bias against nuclear energy and the sale to NorthStar Group Holdings, and that it wouldn’t be able to cross examine the consultant about his or her conclusions and beliefs.
“The commission has not afforded any opportunity for the parties to assess, before the prospective consultant is retained, whether the prospective consultant has a bias,” Entergy wrote.
The company also complained that the role outlined by the PUC was “broader than what precedent has allowed,” and while the PUC has hired expert witnesses in the past in other cases, parties always had the opportunity for cross-examination.
“The role contemplated for the commission’s non-testifying consultant here is impermissibly broad,” Entergy complained, and said the commission should rely on its staff instead of a “specialized decommissioning consultant.”
Michael Twomey, vice president of external affairs for Entergy Wholesale Commodities, declined to comment further on the company’s complaint, saying the filing spoke for itself.
The PUC gave parties in the proposed sale until Thursday to file any comments about Entergy’s objections.
Last month, George Young, general counsel for the PUC, sent a letter to attorneys for Entergy and NorthStar informing them of the state’s intention to hire a consultant, estimated to cost between $50,000 and $100,000. The cost would be billed to Entergy and NorthStar. Entergy raised no objection to the cost of the consultant.
According to the request for proposals, the PUC was seeking a consultant “with significant knowledge and expertise regarding the decommissioning of commercial nuclear power plants and about the potential costs and benefits related to various alternatives.”
“The consultant will be required to review, assess, and analyze the filed testimony and exhibits of multiple parties in this case related to the costs and benefits of various decommissioning proposals.”
According to the state’s request for proposal, the deadline for submitting proposals was Oct. 23, but it is not clear whether the consultant has been hired.