BRATTLEBORO — As a longtime Windham County resident, I concur that southern Vermont has the residents and resources to revitalize a thriving community. He brings up a real challenge that has plagued the area before, and now especially after, Vermont Yankee's closure: a shortage of good jobs.
Without well-paying jobs, we are at risk of losing our young people to opportunities outside of the region. We need a magnet that can draw good jobs into our communities and new, young workers with it.
Such a magnet may be at hand: NorthStar Services' plan to buy and decommission Vermont Yankee.
Not only would NorthStar bring in workers to stay in southern Vermont's apartments and hotels and patronize our restaurants and public services, a swift decommissioning as early as 2026 will mean a new employer can quickly offer good jobs to our community members.
No single project or employer can transform an area's economy alone, but the NorthStar project can be a cornerstone of revitalization.
I urge a full and fair review of the economic and environmental impacts by the Vermont Public Service Board, followed by - I hope - an affirmative decision.