In a deal reportedly reached between New York State and Entergy, the company who operates Indian Point Power Plant, the lower Hudson Valley plant will close by 2021. The New York Times reports the deal is not yet official but could be officially announced as early as next week.

This would mean the two nuclear reactors at the Buchanan based plant would begin permanently shutting down in April of 2020. The process would begin with the closure of one of the two active reactors. The second would be closed by April of the following year.

Indian Point provides nearly a quarter of the energy to New York City and Westchester County. Officials do not have a plan how to replace the needed energy although there are numerous potential renewable options. Both hydro and wind power could help fill the gap when it comes to replacing the nearly 2,000 megawatts currently provided to the grid. However, if a suitable replacement cannot be found, the price of power is expected to increase.

Entergy has been seeking a 20 year renewal to their lease since 2007 but have face numerous hurdles. Reportedly there are contingency plans if Entergy cannot meet the deadlines, pushing the initial numbers back to 2024 and 2025.

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