Pritzker re-energizes nuclear power in Illinois
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After lifting a moratorium on new nuclear facilities last year, Gov. JB Pritzker gave the technology another boost this week with an executive order directing Illinois agencies to start evaluating potential sites for them.
Why it matters: New nuclear plants could help the state handle surging energy demands driven by data centers and AI use that increased energy bills and fueled warnings of an Illinois power shortage by 2030.
- But these facilities often take decades to finish and safety concerns remain strong among many who remember disasters at Fukushima, Chernobyl and Three Mile Island.
State of play: With six nuclear facilities and 11 reactors, Illinois already hosts the largest nuclear network in the nation, but the state hasn't produced a new facility in 40 years.
What they're saying: "For Illinois households and businesses, expanded supply will make electricity less expensive, more reliable and clean, while creating thousands of jobs and maintaining our state's status as a net energy exporter," Pritzker said in his budget speech Wednesday.
- "It sets a new nuclear energy framework for Illinois — one that prioritizes affordability, safety and reliability."
The other side: "The last nuclear power plant built in the United States came online seven years late and $17 billion over budget," Abe Scarr, director of Illinois Public Interest Research Group, tells Axios.
- "In Illinois, utility customers are still subsidizing nuclear power plants built in the 1980s. The best path for Illinois' energy needs is clear: renewable energy sources paired with storage can be built faster, at lower cost, and without the safety risks of nuclear power or the health and climate harms of methane gas."
Zoom in: Pritzker's order directs the Illinois Power Agency and Illinois Commerce Commission to look into potential sites for the facilities and to develop a legal and regulatory system to govern them.
- State officials will not foist the facilities on municipalities but instead let communities make the decision, Pritzker's office told Crain's.
- The order sets a target of producing two gigawatts of new nuclear capacity — enough to power 2 million homes.
What's next: Pritzker is asking Illinois agencies to produce a report on nuclear facility recommendations in 150 days.