A new report says ripple effects from closing the Indian Point nuclear plant could cost billions of dollars a year.
The report from the fiscally conservative Manhattan Institute estimates a shutdown would add at least $76 to the average New York household's annual electric bill.
It says businesses and industries would pay much more, and as many as 40,000 jobs a year could be lost.
The report adds to a pile of studies that have reached varying conclusions on the value of Indian Point, 35 miles from Manhattan. Plant owner Entergy Nuclear is seeking 20-year license extensions.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo and several environmental groups oppose the new licenses.
The report says alternatives to Indian Point's nuclear power, such as new gas-fired plants and new transmission lines, would be costlier.
