IL Senate passes new bill lifting nuclear power plant construction moratorium - WGEM

IL Senate passes new bill lifting nuclear power plant construction moratorium

SPRINGFIELD (WGEM) - The ban on constructing new nuclear power plants in Illinois is one step closer to being ended. The state Senate passed legislation Wednesday lifting the 36-year-old moratorium on nuclear plant construction.

The proposal is similar to a bill lawmakers passed in the spring. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker vetoed it on Aug. 11. They now hope the new proposal will satisfy Pritzker’s concerns and pave the way for more reliable energy in Illinois.

“Nuclear is powering America’s clean-energy future. Nuclear provides clean, reliable and secure energy that we can count to reach our clean energy goals here in Illinois,” said the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris.

The bill, which passed 44-7 with broad bipartisan support, would allow for construction of new small modular nuclear reactors.

“It’s important because right now is when people are making decisions on their future direction of their energy needs,” said Sen. Dave Koehler, D-Peoria.

There won’t be a rush to construction right away if the bill becomes law. The moratorium won’t be lifted until 2026. It takes up to five years to clear federal regulatory hurdles according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

With all coal plants in the state set to shut down by 2045, lawmakers believe now is the time to act to ensure the state meets its future energy needs.

“As we move towards a clean energy future, and we start taking certain types of energy off line, we have to have something to replace all those megawatts,” said Sen. Patrick Joyce, D-Essex.

Joyce, who’s father, Jerome, sponsored the law creating the moratorium during his time in the state Senate, said technology has change and the Illinois’ laws must evolve too.

Koehler said the state needs to embrace the new technology if it’s truly committed to going green.

“If we’re really serious about decarbonizing our environment, I think we have to look at this and allow for all kinds of options. This is one option of how we’re going to get there and we need to take it seriously,” he said.

The bill now heads to the state House.

In vetoing the original bill, Pritzker said the language was too vague and he feared it would lead to a proliferation of large-scale nuclear reactors.

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