Illinois has been at the national forefront of clean energy solutions over the last half decade, most recently with the enactment of the 2022 Hydrogen Fuel Replacement Tax Credit Act, which helped secure Illinois’ involvement in the recently announced billion-dollar federal grant to create a regional hydrogen hub. And while Illinois and the rest of the nation move toward cleaner energy goals, the next step in this clean energy evolution requires our state to take advantage of its rich expertise in nuclear power generation and to end the nearly four-decade arbitrary moratorium on the construction of new nuclear reactors.
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During the General Assembly’s 2023 spring legislative session, I filed such a bill, Senate Bill 76. After robust negotiations, it received large bipartisan support in both chambers. This legislation was set to usher in the next phase in our state’s new energy generation era and spark economic growth and environmental stewardship opportunities.
Specifically, the legislation was designed to open the door for small modular nuclear reactors, a modernized, reliable and stable clean energy source capable of meeting our state’s energy demands, including those of industrial sectors that require high levels of constant energy, while also reducing overall emissions. With their compact size and modular design, SMRs offer reduced construction times, cost advantages, enhanced safety protocols, and improved accessibility to previously excluded communities from nuclear energy.
Moreover, this legislation presents an unparalleled chance to foster economic prosperity by creating high-skilled jobs across various sectors, from SMR construction and operation to long-term maintenance. These investments will strengthen our local economies, provide job stability, support local businesses, and augment the tax base, consequently bolstering funding for local schools.
Beyond their energy capabilities, SMRs offer the potential to repurpose retiring fossil fuel plants, breathing new life into sites and transitioning from carbon-intensive sources to cleaner alternatives. Additionally, one of the greatest advantages SMRs have over other clean energy solutions is the fact that they can easily be hooked up to the state’s utility infrastructure. This convenience would not only save money for Illinois ratepayers, but would expediate Illinois’ energy transition, as utility companies wouldn’t have to rebuild their infrastructure.
Unfortunately, the Governor chose to veto Senate Bill 76 over the summer. This has set up the potential for a veto override during the General Assembly’s upcoming fall veto session, set to begin next week.
While I support calling for an override vote and believe that vote would be successful if the Senate and House leaders allowed it, I have also filed a new bill to address the concerns of the Governor.
The reality is Illinois cannot continue to allow the outdated moratorium to remain in place while other states throughout the nation are aggressively embracing advanced nuclear power technology. If Illinois does not adapt to the modern energy era, we will lose any nuclear advantage we currently enjoy.
The embrace of advanced nuclear technology by either overriding the veto of Senate Bill 76 or the passage of Senate Bill 2591 during the upcoming veto session will showcase Illinois’ commitment to the nuclear industry, preservation of the environment, and safeguarding local economies for generations to come.
State Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, represents Illinois’ 38th Senate District, which includes all or parts of Bureau, DeKalb, Grundy, Kendall, La Salle, Putnam and Will counties. She is the deputy Republican leader in the Illinois Senate.