The Public Service Commission decided yesterday that Nuclear Energy will have a part in New York State’s Clean Energy Standard.

The plan is to cut carbon emissions by 40 percent and expand renewable power to account for 50 percent of electricity generation by 2030. As part of that work, it would subsidize struggling nuclear power plants in upstate New York, providing a zero emissions credit to plants that are on the verge of closing.

The plan’s subsidies for upstate nuclear power plants promise nearly $8 billion dollars over 12 years to Exelon Corporation, the nation’s largest nuclear energy company, for its two struggling plants and for a third it is proposing to buy — the FitzPatrick plant near Oswego, which Entergy announced it would close by 2017.

In response to the PSC decision, Entergy issued this statement:

Entergy applauds the New York State Public Service Commission for its decision today that recognizes the substantial contribution New York’s nuclear power facilities make to the state’s clean air. The state has adopted the first program in the country that values the zero-emission attributes of this essential clean energy resource.

A Clean Energy Standard program that compensates zero-emission nuclear power facilities for their clean energy contribution, and includes all of the state’s existing nuclear generators, is a groundbreaking and critically needed step forward.

Let’s hope this is an indication of things to come, nationally