A nuclear plant’s closure was hailed as a green win. Then emissions went up

In this 26 April 2021 photo, a sign on a fence warns of radioactive materials at the Indian Point nuclear power plant in Buchanan, New York. The plant is now closed. Photograph: Seth Wenig/AP

When New York’s deteriorating and unloved Indian Point nuclear plant finally shuttered in 2021, its demise was met with delight from environmentalists who had long demanded it be scrapped.

But there has been a sting in the tail – since the closure, New York’s greenhouse gas emissions have gone up.