Rauner signs Exelon nuclear bailout (and NEIS response)
NEIS posted the following comment in response to the AP article, and the passage of the Exelon Nuclear bailout in IL:
NEIS COMMENT:
If Gov. Rauner really and truly believes that, " closing the plants would have "devastated the two communities," then he should have worked to bail out the potentially devastated communities, not the hugely profitable private corporation.
For over 2 years our organization argued that the State must insist that a "just transitions" program be instituted to protect reactor (and perhaps coal) communities from the withdrawal of "company town" utilities. Absent such a proactive plan, this "bailout tango" will be repeated in the future when Byron, LaSalle, Dresden and Braidwood start to become "unprofitable" for Exelon. We spelled out potential funding mechanisms, which are eminently negotiable. We left copies of this plan at the offices of over 40 legislators and state officials, including Governor Rauner's office, Rep. Madigan's office, Sen. Cullerton's office, the AG's office, and numerous individual legislators including Sen. Radogno, the Clean Jobs Bill sponsors, and others. We personally gave copies to Sen. Chapin Rose, and representatives from the Quad Cities chamber of commerce and City Administrator of Clinton. We made it part of our testimony before the House and Senate Energy Committees. We urged that it become a topic of discussion and negotiation in the current legislation.
No luck.
Evidently. legislators love 6-hour public hearings, and annual bailout proceedings. It's much easier to pass the bills along to disempowered ratepayers than to engage in responsible governance. Happy holidays, all.
--David Kraft, Director, Nuclear Energy Information Service, Chicago--
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But it isn't just the anti-nuclear left which opposes the Exelon Nuclear bailout.
As Tweeted out by Scott Stapf of the Hastings Group:
Grover Norquist: This nuclear #bailout will cost Illinois #billions of dollars, 10,000s of jobs. http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/energy-environment/308836-this-nuclear-bailout-will-cost-illinois-billions-of#.WEcNHPDX9D8.twitter
Grover Norquist is President and Founder of Americans for Tax Reform, a right wing conservative group.