The Indian Point nuclear facility in Westchester has long been controversial. Fears of a Chernobyl or Three-Mile-Island accident near one of the nation's most densely populated areas has long been a source of anxiety for nearby residents and elected officials. Then, following the attacks of 9/11, when one of the planes that hit the Wolrd Trade Center flew almost directly over the Nuclear facility, the calls for the closure increased to a fever pitch. The frontrunner for the Governorship of NY, Eliot Spitzer, has joined this chorus of protest to call for the permanent closure of the 2 nuclear facilities upon the expiration of their permits in 2011 and 2013.

However, everyone realizes that replacing them will be quite difficult since they currently supply about 10% of NY State's total electricity demand. A new study released this week and reported in the NY Times points out the obvious trade-off between nuclear and fossil fuels to generate electricity. One of study's main conclusion is that New York may have to build a Liquified Natural Gas terminal nearby to secure its access to natural gas. Why is that? Because North American Supplies of Natural gas are already tight, more nuclear is unpopular, coal is seen as too dirty and renewables are going to need a long time to ramp up.