Letter to the Hon. Bruce Rauner, Governor of Illinois and the Hon. John J. Cullerton, Michael J. Madigan, Christine Radogno, and Jim Durkin, Legislative Leaders - Prevent Clinton Nuclear Plant Closure

Letter

Dear Governor Rauner and Legislative Leaders:

We are writing to urge you to take action on a legislative solution that will allow Illinois' nuclear plants to continue to operate. Last week, we learned that two of Illinois' nuclear plants, Clinton Power Station in Clinton, Illinois and Quad-Cities Generating Station in Cordova, Illinois, may close as early as next year if legislation is not enacted by the state by the end of the current legislative session on May 31, 2016.

Illinois leads the nation in nuclear energy production where its six state-of-the-art plants provide our state with 48 percent of its electricity. These plants produce substantial benefits for Illinois residents and businesses by ensuring reliable carbon-free power, driving economic growth by injecting nearly $9 billion per year into the state economy, and employing thousands of highly skilled workers in quality, well-paying jobs. Unfortunately, markets and public policies still do not adequately recognize the contributions of these facilities, and it now appears that two of these plants may close prematurely even though they have decades of useful life left.

A state report found that Illinois would lose 4,200 jobs and $1.2 billion in annual economic activity as well as significant increases in electric rates and carbon emissions if those two plants close their doors. Such a result would be bad for the State of Illinois and devastating for the communities in which they operate. The premature closure of these plants would also significantly impede the ability of the state to submit a viable implementation plan for the Clean Power Plan should the Supreme Court's stay be lifted and the rule remain.

One proposed solution would establish a Zero Emission Standard (ZES) that would make Illinois one of the first states in the nation to recognize the zero-carbon benefits of nuclear energy and keep the plants at risk of premature closure operating.

We cannot afford to lose these two plants and the thousands of jobs they support. We hope that you can come together in the remaining days of the legislative session to support a comprehensive solution to prevent the untimely and preventable closure of these plants.