Sept 13 Reuters: The Illinois Senate on Monday saved two Exelon Corp nuclear power plants from closure by passing a bill that will provide $700 million in subsidies to the company over five years for generating virtually carbon-free electricity.
Exelon had threatened to stop its Byron nuclear plant on Monday and Dresden nuclear plant in November due to rising cost and competition from power plants that burn low-cost natural gas.
The Senate passed the bill 37-17 - 27. The House approved the measure last week after a compromise deal on coal plant closures is favored by both environmentalists and labor groups.
Exelon said it was preparing to refuel its 40 year old Byron and Dresden plants after the Senate vote.
The threat to our planet is real, said Senate president Don Harmon, a Democrat. The mission of Illinois was to enact renewable, affordable energy policy that position the nation to lead the nation in combating climate change and growing a green energy economy. For nuclear power plants, where there is no permanent stored waste for which no permanent U.S. repository can be identified, some environmentalists and politicians praise potable energy as climate friendly because it generates virtually carbon-free energy. Nuclear plants also tend to pay some of the highest wages in the energy industry.
The privatization by 2030 of coal-fired coal plants requires a ban on private coal fired stations. Municipal coal plants must reduce carbon emissions 45% by 2035 and reach zero emissions or close by 2045.
Some lawmakers, including Senator Chapin Rose, a Republican, said the closure of coal plants would simply lead to more imports of coal-fired electricity from Indiana and Kentucky.
Joe Biden, President's climate adviser, says existing nuclear plants are absolutely essential to hit U.S. goals to decarbonize the electric grid by 2035. The administration supports federal incentives for the industry. The United States has 93 nuclear reactors, down from 104 in 2012 when the United States was implementing 93 nuclear reactors?