Millstone Facility Reaches Long-Term Deal

WATERFORD, CT - Governor Ned Lamont and Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz joined executives and employees from Dominion Energy today the Millstone nuclear facility to celebrate an agreementDominion and the state’s two electric utilities reached to keep the facility open for another decade, according to a statement from Lamont's office.

Lamont's office emphasized that the shutdown of the plant would have exposed the New England region to a nearly 25 percent increase in carbon emissions, increased risk of rolling blackouts, billions of dollars in power replacement costs, and the loss of more than 1,500 jobs.

The announcement of the agreement was accompanied by a commitment from all six New England governors to evaluate mechanisms that can value the reliability and clean energy benefits nuclear facilities provide to the entire region.

Currently Millstone provides more than half of Connecticut’s electricity needs. Millstone is also Waterford’s top employer and taxpayer, representing 35 percent of the tax base and paying $29.7 million in local taxes.

“The premature loss of Millstone would have been awful for our state and region, spiking energy prices, reversing our progress on cutting carbon emissions, and endangering the reliability of the grid,” Lamont said in a statement.

“On behalf of all my colleagues at Millstone Power Station, we thank Governor Lamont and the bipartisan coalition of legislators who allowed Millstone to compete successfully to provide affordable, carbon free electricity to power Connecticut for many years to come,” said Thomas F. Farrell II, Chairman, President, and CEO, of Dominion Energy.

The agreement is pending review by the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority.