Critics deride it as government-backed social engineering, a policy that effectively spells the end of local control over zoning laws.
Supporters praise it as a means of racially and economically diversifying America's suburbs and of ensuring, in the words of President Barack Obama, that "a person's ZIP code doesn't decide their destiny."
PLYMOUTH — Hampered by heightened federal oversight of its operations and low natural gas prices, the owners of Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station, which began operations in 1972, announced plans Tuesday to close the Plymouth facility by 2019, jolting the regional electricity market, spurring new calls for renewable energy, and forcing Massachusetts officials to think about long-term plant decommissioning and plans for spent nuclear fuel.
The announcement Tuesday morning by Louisiana-based Entergy Corp. triggered a wave of reactions. Pilgrim workers urged Entergy to reconsider, citing 600 jobs and the plant's role in covering about 12 percent of the state's electricity needs. Gov. Charlie Baker said the closure could mean an energy shortage and promoted his hydro energy plans. Solar energy, transmission, and other power industry officials said they were ready to fill voids. Sen. Edward Markey urged Entergy to devote the resources needed to remove spent nuclear fuel from an "overcrowded" pool. And officials began coming to grips with potential adverse impacts in the area where Pilgrim is located.
