After Indian Point
For nearly six decades, Buchanan residents lived with a nuclear power plant operating in their backyard. Indian Point, which generated approximately 25 percent of the Lower Hudson Valley and New York City’s annual electricity consumption, powered off its last remaining nuclear reactor last April.
The decision, despite being four years in the making, was described as a dark day for the community. While environmental activists saw the plant’s closure as the culmination of 50-plus years of mounting pressure, others viewed it as a short-sighted, even reckless decision.
Now, as Holtec — the New Jersey-based company that bought the plant from Entergy — oversees the decommissioning process, Buchanan, Cortlandt, and the surrounding area are left in a period of financial transition.
As the largest employer in Buchanan and Cortlandt, Indian Point not only provided 1,000 jobs at its peak but also gave millions in revenue to the local community.
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Bailey has journalism experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties and New York City on topics related to LGBTQ+ issues, women’s rights, climate change, the environment, and local politics. They have been a full-time reporter with Examiner Media since July 2021. Read more details from Bailey’s bio here. Read Bailey’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/baileyhosfelt/
