Members of the Vernon Selectboard listen to representatives from Power Transitions discuss plans for the redevelopment of the former Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant during a meeting in Vernon on Tuesday, July 7, 2026. From left to right are board members Shelli Harvey, Sandra Harris and board ch air Brandon Bucossi. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger Vernon Selectboard members are raising concerns about being left out of the planning process for the future of a former nuclear power plant, which closed over a decade ago and is set to be decommissioned by the end of the year. The company NorthStar Group Services bought the former Vermont Yankee nuclear power station property in 2019 and has taken on decontamination, demolition and restoration efforts. NorthStar entered a lease agreement in 2024 with the private-equity backed, Texas-based company PowerTransitions that converts industrial sites to energy development.  PowerTransitions representatives discussed short-term and long-term goals including battery storage, a small nuclear reactor and even a data center at a town’s planning commission meeting in May. The potential redevelopment plans for the site, in particular the possibility of a data center, caused a stir at last month’s selectboard meeting.  PowerTransitions interfaced with state and regional stakeholders before the town planning commission, said selectboard member and planning commission chair Jim Pinkerton at the Tuesday night meeting. That outreach included the Windham Regional Commission and Kerrick Johnson, who serves as commissioner of the Vermont Department of Public Service, Pinkerton added. “I want you to realize that’s the legacy that you’re bringing into this discussion right now,” Pinkerton said. “That’s the history you’re going to have to deal with very, very quickly.” Carrie Hitt, spokesperson for PowerTransitions, sought to repair the relations, acknowledging that turnover at the company “left a void” as questions and concerns circled about the company’s plans. Hitt assured the town that the plans are in preliminary stages and that the company wants input from residents before going forward. She added there should be “no surprises” for the town about PowerTransitions’ plans. Still, discontent hung in the air at a joint selectboard and planning commission meeting drawing dozens Tuesday night, where PowerTransitions representatives fielded questions and concerns in person.  “It feels like there’s been a little bit of trust broken at this point in how it’s developed so far,” said selectboard member Shelli Harvey. PowerTransitions had already invested time and money in assessing the site, and the town could have been involved when those site reviews were happening behind the scenes, Harvey said.  Selectboard chair Brandon Bucossi said that there had been a longstanding relationship with Vermont Yankee and NorthStar. He questioned how PowerTransitions would offer the same.  PowerTransitions and NorthStar have told Bucossi that if the town felt left out of planning, it was a “giant misunderstanding,” he said. He added that the town is worried about “frankly getting shoved around” due to PowerTransitions’ resources as a large-scale company. There are no clear plans yet, but developing battery energy storage is the company’s goal in the near-term, said Derek Porter, who works on development in the Northeast for PowerTransitions. Porter said the 140-acre former Vermont Yankee plant is an “outstanding site for redevelopment,” and the company wants to find energy customers in Vermont. The company’s plans appear preliminary at this point, Pinkerton said in an interview, but there would need to be additional fire prevention measures if battery storage is built given the location on the same lot as spent nuclear waste. At a public meeting in June 2021, residents weighed in on potential reuse, with industrial and alternative energy emerging as top choices at the time, Pinkerton said.  While there has been stress early on in the relationship between the town and PowerTransitions, Pinkerton added that it is a “trick” to find a company with the skill set to redevelop a former nuclear site, and the company should stay involved in the project.  Last month, Johnson said the state and PowerTransitions were working on crafting an agreement on expectations for the process of redevelopment. That agreement had yet to be finalized as of Wednesday, according to Audrey Fargo, the commissioner’s executive assistant.  NorthStar CEO Scott State wrote in a statement provided to VTDigger Wednesday that the company went to the town in January 2024 to introduce PowerTransitions before the two companies entered a lease agreement. The decommissioning company’s agreement with the town requires collaboration, but “not ultimate consensus on any final use,” State wrote.  The company’s goal is to ensure the site is restored for safe and productive use, and is looking forward to continued collaboration, according to the statement.  A lot has changed since Vermont Yankee operated in Vernon, said Hitt, and recognized there are formal development and community engagement requirements. Hitt suggested a monthly meeting to continue discussing options with the town and eventually creating a memorandum of understanding with the town.  “Ultimately, I don’t see us proposing a plan of something that I don’t think the town’s going to accept,” Hitt said. “Communities have more say in outcomes, and I think it’s important to figure out how we can work together.” Read the story on VTDigger here: ‘Broken’ trust: Energy site redevelopment company seeks input from Vernon community on uses for former Vermont Yankee plant. ...read more read less