On August 14, 2013, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld a lower court’s holding that federal law preempts a recent effort by Vermont lawmakers and regulators to effectively shutter operations at the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station in Vernon, Vermont. The decision was a victory for WLF, which filed a brief in the case in support of Vermont Yankee’s challenge to Vermont law. In its opinion, the appeals court agreed with WLF that Vermont’s proffered reasons for its legislative scheme to put Vermont Yankee out of business could not be reconciled with the oversight already statutorily provided by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Because Congress granted the NRC exclusive authority over the safety, licensing, and operation of nuclear power plants, the court held that Vermont’s backdoor attempt to halt Vermont Yankee’s continued operation violates the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.