Two professors at the Vermont Law School say Vermont Yankee’s owners are likely to prevail in their suit against the state, even though their request for a preliminary order blocking the state’s bid to close the reactor was rejected.
Professors Cheryl Hanna and Donald Kreis say they see signs in the decision issued Monday by U.S. District Judge J. Garvan Murtha that he is likely to rule for Entergy Corp. after a three-day trial set for September is over.
But a third professor at the law school, Patrick Parenteau, says that’s far from certain.
All three appear to agree that the state has some work to do to make its case to the judge that it’s trying to close the plant for reasons that aren’t pre-empted by federal law.