Beyond Nuclear - Nuclear Costs What's New

NEIS ACTION ALERT!

Illinois’ Energy Legislation Vote Due Tuesday (Senate),

Wednesday (House)!

Exelon nuclear bailout bigger than before!

Greetings All –

This will be the very last time we will contact you, asking you to ACT to oppose the nuclear bailouts for Exelon’s money-losing nuclear plants.

Currently there are competing version of legislation between the Governor and the Legislature. Governor Pritzker has waffled on the size of the Exelon bailout in his proposed bill. What was once an independent, fact-based, $350 million 5-year bailout determined by the Governor-selected auditor, Synapse Energy Economics, has now ballooned to $700 million without rational justification or explanation. Another recent analysis suggests this amount could approach as high as $1 billion over time. Anything above the Synapse amount is political pork and nuclear ransom, reminiscent of “the Madigan Way” we thought we left behind.

The Governor’s rationale, that this bailout “…protects consumers and the climate…that we need to preserve our nuclear fleet and the jobs associated with that,” is both misinformed and wrong. Consumers are the ones left paying this nuclear ransom. Despite its lower-carbon emissions profile, nuclear power has been demonstrated to be more a detriment than benefit in the climate crisis fight, sapping up money and resources better allocated to truly renewable energy sources, efficiency, energy storage and transmission improvements. These industries already account for 4-5 times the number of jobs in Illinois compared to nuclear.

While some would write this off as merely “politics,” we have to call it for what it is:

(legalized) extortion: “the act of securing money, favours, etc. by intimidation or violence.”

1.) CONTACT THE GOVERNOR AND YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS:

This will likely be the simplest ask we’ve made of you yet: contact the Governor, and tell him “We’ve got your back! Don’t cave to Exelon. Keep your pledge that you are ‘not going to sign a bill written by the utility companies.’”

Essential inclusions: Tell the Governor and your State Senator and Representative that the final legislation MUST include these:

1.) No bailouts for Exelon’s unprofitable nuclear plants: Nuclear bailouts have been shown to actually impede implementation of renewable energy. It’s the communities and workers affected by plant closures who will need the bailout, not profitable Exelon.

2.) Significant equity clauses and “just-transitions” programs for nuclear, coal, and other fossil fuel generator and mining communities faced with severe economic disruption as a result of their inevitable closures, ideally initiated prior to facility closure, and the funds escrowed to be available to the communities and workers to protect their tax base and create replacement economic opportunities when the facilities finally close.

3.) Maximal financial support for an aggressive build-out of renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy storage, and improved electric transmission. If you want a 100% renewable energy future, then build one. Get to the State’s goal of 100% renewables by 2050 directly. Don’t waste more of OUR time and OUR money on soon to be extinct fossil fuels and nuclear power plants. To insure energy equity, make sure these buildouts are given priority to communities already economically disadvantaged or damaged from dirty fossil fuels and nuclear power.

WHAT YOU MUST DO:

Contact the Governor FIRST, then your State Senator (tonight) and Representative (before Wednesday), telling them that you want these three demands included in the final energy legislation.

Go here to find out who your elected officials are and get their contact information. Follow the instructions found there:

Here is the page you can go to to leave a direct message for the Governor:

https://www2.illinois.gov/sites/gov/contactus/Pages/VoiceAnOpinion.aspx

Here are phone numbers for the Governor you can call: