Nuclear power in Illinois

The news story “Nations approve major new UN climate change report” (March 20) hit home for me as a wake-up call to take bold steps to avoid greater global climate catastrophes. Every day brings news of another climate tragedy at home or abroad.

Transitioning to a clean-energy economy will take a fullcourt press: building more wind, solar and hydroelectric power; electrifying buildings and vehicles; and conserving trees and other natural resources. We also need to look closely at replacing Illinois’ remaining coal-fired power plants with carbon-free nuclear-generated power. Installing a small modular nuclear reactor at the site of a closed fossil-fuel plant carries the advantage of plugging right into the existing electric grid without additional investment or time-consuming permit applications.

More than 50% of Illinois’ electricity already comes from nuclear reactors. More is on the way, thanks to an $800 million infusion of capital by Constellation at the Braidwood plant in Will County and the Byron station in Ogle County. This will add enough capacity to power the equivalent of 100,000 homes every year, and it will be like taking more than 170,000 gasoline-powered cars and trucks off the road.

I’m also encouraged by Illinois Senate Bill 76 and House Bill 1079, measures that would lift the decades-old moratorium on building new nuclear reactors.

If we can clear the way for more nuclear-generated power in Illinois, we’ll tap into a solution that will help meet the greenhouse gas reduction goals that our future life on planet Earth demands.