Illinois lawmakers OK lifting ban on new nuclear construction

SPRINGFIELD — Illinois lawmakers are sending Gov. J.B. Pritzker a revised proposal to lift the state’s decades-old moratorium on the construction of new nuclear power plants that aims to address the issues the second-term Democrat had with a version he vetoed this summer.

On a bipartisan 98-8 vote, the House approved the compromise proposal, which was passed by the Senate on a 44-7 vote a day earlier.

Pritzker’s office has voiced its support for the revised measure, and the governor’s signature would make Illinois would one of a number of states that have rescinded similar bans as policymakers are taking a fresh look at nuclear power as another alternative to generate energy without increasing carbon output.

Supporters of the proposal, including many in organized labor, have said a new generation of smaller nuclear reactors could be an important tool to help the state reach its goal of carbon-free power generation by midcentury. Environmentalists who have opposed the measure say it could be an expensive distraction from developing more renewable power sources in the state.

“In order to achieve our clean energy goals, we may have to invest in more nuclear-generated, carbon-free energy,” state Rep. Lance Yednock, an Ottawa Democrat who sponsored the measure in the House, said during the floor debate. “The policy does not subtract from the growth of wind and solar energy.”

Pritzker surprised some supporters with his veto of the original proposal after previously expressing an openness to nuclear power continuing to be a part of the state’s energy mix.

But in a veto message, Pritzker said he believed the original language would have left the door open to the development of new large-scale plants like the six that already exist in Illinois, which he does not support.

The measure lawmakers approved this week, which was negotiated with the governor’s office, labor unions, manufacturers and environmental groups, sets a limit on the size of nuclear reactors that would be allowed, aligning with the federal definition of a “small modular reactor.”

The measure also requires a study to identify any potential gaps in the state’s regulations for nuclear power.

Those changes were enough to convince some legislators who opposed the original proposal to support the revamped version.

“Climate change is an existential threat to our planet,” said Rep. Anna Moeller, an Elgin Democrat, who voted against the measure Pritzker vetoed but in favor of the new version. “And as we tried to work to decarbonize our electricity grid and electrify our transportation networks, we’re going to need energy options for the future. And I think nuclear has to be one of those options on the table.”

Still, not all skeptics were convinced. Rep. Lilian Jiménez of Chicago said the state should be taking more “time to assess the risks and costs before deciding to open the door to these projects.”

Some environmental and consumer groups also remain opposed to lifting the moratorium.

Both business and labor interests praised passage of the measure, with the Illinois AFL-CIO saying the vote to “create a path for smart construction of nuclear generation facilities is important for our state’s economy and our clean energy future.”

Mark Denzler, president and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, said the proposal “is a solution to ensure that electricity remains available and affordable for homes and businesses.”

dpetrella@chicagotribune.com