Vermont Yankee nuke plant sues over new state tax

MONTPELIER — The Vermont Yankee nuclear plant has filed a lawsuit against the state over taxes on the plant the Legislature passed this year.
Vermont Yankee already won a round in federal court over the state’s efforts to close it. That case is on appeal.
Now New Orleans-based plant owner Entergy Corp. is suing over a law increasing the plant’s annual tax bill from about $5 million to about $12.8 million. Backers of the increase say it was designed to make up for revenues lost to the state under agreements that ended on the plant’s originally scheduled shutdown date in March.
Gov. Peter Shumlin calls Entergy’s decision to challenge the tax “disappointing.” Entergy says the tax is unconstitutional.
The plant is in Vernon, in the southeast corner of the state. It’s near Massachusetts and New Hampshire, which receive power from it.