On Thursday the Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved a license request for a new nuclear power plant to be built near Augusta, Georgia. It's the first new nuclear power plant to get a green light from the government since the Three Mile Island meltdown in 1979. Go Isotopes! Now nuclear power enthusiasts are spinning this faster than an overheating centrifuge, heralding the licensing as the dawn of a new era in nuclear energy. more ›

Yesterday morning, one of nuclear power plant Indian Point's reactors was shut down to "repair a malfunctioning cooling pump." Apparently there was a leak from a pump! The reactor is still offline today, but don't worry—the Journal News reports, "The reactor works at about 550 degrees Fahrenhei... so after the shutdown engineers needed to let it cool enough to assess the damage... The shutdown started about 4:30 a.m. Tuesday.Indian Point 3’s production of electricity remains unaffected, company officials said." more ›

Governor Cuomo is confident that we can rid ourselves of the ticking time bomb nuclear power plant Indian Point, which supplies 30% of New York City's power. He's also sure that we can drum up some replacement power in the meantime: "There is no doubt that we need replacement power if we are close to Indian Point. There is also no doubt that we can find it." From where? Cuomo doesn't say, and as the Daily News reports, the governor "avoided direct answers to a number of questions" during an internet chat with constituents. Yes but does he know of the "draw me like one of your French girls" meme? more ›

A nuclear power plant located 27 miles from the epicenter of today's earthquake in Mineral, Virginia has been shut down. Reuters reports that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission pulled the plug after the 5.8 magnitude earthquake, but another nuclear plant in Surry, Virginia, 103 miles from Mineral, remains operational. Indian Point, the nuclear power plant located 35 miles from New York City, "is operating normally" following today's earthquake, Entergy spokesman Jim Steets tells us. more ›

The safety precautions at Indian Point may be worse than we'd thought. Nearly 40 percent of the nearby nuclear plant—which has been under increased scrutiny since the devastating earthquake in Japan led to a Chernobyl-level crisis around the Fukushima reactor there—has no manual fire suppression systems, like hydrants or fire extinguishers. And 63 percent of the plant is lacking in smoke, heat or flame detectors, the News reports. more ›

A worker at Japan's damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant collapsed and died from an apparent heart attack "unrelated to radiation," the Times reports. It's the first death at the plant since the March 11th earthquake and subsequent tsunami put the plant on the brink of a meltdown. more ›

Ever since the earthquake in Japan caused a crisis with one of their nuclear power plants, reminding New Yorkers that we too have a nuclear power plant about 25 miles from the city, the public has been told two things: that the plant is completely safe, and anyway, it's the "first and top priority" of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Except, uh, the former may not be true, and the latter may be too-little-too-late. more ›

Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy and Director of State Operations Howard Glaser are meeting with regulators from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission today to discuss the risks facing the Indian Point nuclear plant in the event of an earthquake. You'll recall that the plant, which is about 25 miles from city limits, is at the intersection of two different fault lines. But there is nothing to worry about, say the plant's owners and this area man on the street, who gives NY1 the quote of the day: more ›

Two days after reports that North Korea showed an enormous, sophisticated new plant used to enrich uranium to an American scientist, the isolated country fired around 100 rounds of artillery (some reports say 200) at the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong in the Yellow Sea, killing two South Korean marines, according to South Korean media. South Korea fired back and its military is in "crisis mode." more ›

Last night, a transformer explosion and fire shut down Reactor 2 at the Indian Point nuclear power plant in Buchanan, NY, but Entergy, which owns the plant, told the Daily News, "Apparently, there was an explosion, but no fire to speak of. Nobody has been hurt. The plant is in a safe condition." We guess that's why the local fire department was turned away. more ›

If the Indian Point nuclear power plant in Westchester is sold, New York City residents could see their electricity costs increase. And if the deal goes through, the new owner of the aging facility might be able to avoid paying for the eventual decommission of the plant, forcing taxpayers to cover the hundreds of millions of dollars of decontamination costs. more ›

Fleet Week is upon us, but it's smaller (that's what she said!) than past year's events because nuclear-powered craft is not allowed in the harbor. Therefore, many of the Navy's newer aircraft carriers aren't here. more ›

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced that NY State filed papers with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission explaining why the license for the Indian Point nuclear power plant should not be renewed. In fact, Cuomo called the plant a "catastrophe waiting to happen" and said, "I believe Indian Point should be closed and it should be closed now." Here are some of the reasons Cuomo and Governor Spitzer gave (more here - the petition submitted to the... more ›