Lifting Ban on Nuclear Construction Helps Consumers and the Environment
The Byron Nuclear Power Plant near Rockford. The Senate passed legislation Thursday to lift the ban on nuclear construction in the state.
OPINION
The Senate passed legislation Thursday to lift the state’s ban on new nuclear construction that has been in effect since 1987.
When Democrats enacted the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) law in 2021, they made it their goal to eliminate all coal and natural gas power in Illinois by 2045. But there isn’t nearly enough capacity in wind and solar to make up the difference as coal and gas plants are taken offline.
Anyone who has received a ComEd bill in the past year has seen just what instability in the energy market does to the prices we pay for air conditioning and keeping the lights on (no matter what the Governor says, CEJA absolutely played a role).
Moving to renewable energy resources is certainly a laudable goal. I’ve long been a proponent (and have been paid to be a proponent for in a prior life) for replacing some of our nasty, expensive foreign oil gasoline and diesel with corn-based ethanol and soy-based biodiesel. Replacing coal with cleaner sources is a great idea in theory. In practicality, wind and solar are more expensive to build the infrastructure. In practicality, wind and solar are more expensive to produce energy. In practicality, there isn’t enough wind and solar to replace coal and natural gas, at least for the foreseeable future.
Enter nukes.
Illinois’ nuclear plants and emerging nuclear technology are the key to helping meet the CEJA goals. It may not always be the cheapest or cleanest or most efficient, but it sure is today.
Here’s the description of the bill from sponsor Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris):
“…public utility and energy companies wouldn’t be forced to invest in nuclear energy but would merely be given the option to invest in new nuclear power construction projects. These projects could be either traditional nuclear reactors or new small modular reactors (SMRs.) SMRs are the latest and most advanced nuclear energy technology being developed which have the added benefit of being able to be placed in existing infrastructure such as factories or retired coal-fired power plants that are already connected to the electric grid.”
You mean to tell me deactivated coal and natural gas plants can be retrofitted with mini nuclear reactors to deliver cheap, clean energy?
Rezin gets it.
“It is time for Illinois to come to the realization that as we make our move forward with carbon-free energy goals, we need to at the very least give our energy companies the option to decide for themselves if they want to invest in the most efficient and reliable means of producing carbon-free energy,” she said.
20 Senate Democrats and all 19 Senate Republicans joined on the roll call and there is a similar bill in the House that hasn’t gotten a vote. It’s too early to tell if the Governor or House Speaker will allow it to move forward, but they should.
Environmentalists will tell you nuclear is bad because we don’t have a great strategy for what to do with the nuclear waste. And it’s a valid point. But we do have Yucca Mountain…or, you know, Iowa.
While the goal to convert to wind and solar can probably be met someday, it can’t be met tomorrow. Expanding access to nuclear power, which plays no role in climate change, is a smart, cost efficient, environmentally friendly way to keep power secure and affordable for customers in the state.