East Central Reporter

State Rep. Chris Miller (R-Oakland) is pushing to end Illinois’ 30-year moratorium on new nuclear power plant construction as the Illinois House returns for the second week of the fall veto session. 

“The Illinois House returns for the second week of the fall veto session today. It is our final chance to act on the major issues facing our state before the end of the year, including ending the moratorium on new nuclear construction in Illinois,” Miller said on Facebook. “Shutting down coal-fired power plants because of the climate change myth is jeopardizing the future of energy in Illinois. We simply cannot meet our energy demands with solar and wind.”

During regular legislative proceedings, Gov. J.B. Pritzker vetoed a bill intended to lift Illinois' longstanding ban on new nuclear power plants. The bill had aimed at allowing advanced nuclear reactors' development, including Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (SMRs). Despite gaining bipartisan support in May, it faced opposition from anti-nuclear activists and clean energy groups who advocated that renewable sources could more effectively fulfill state energy needs.

“In order to decarbonize and reach our goals of reducing our carbon by the year 2050, we need to pave the way for new nuclear,” State Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) said in a letter on the matter.

“We have a reliability problem in Southern Illinois that we need to solve, and new nuclear is the answer to help us in the future begin to create energy that is reliable, that generates 24/7, 365 days a year, rain or shine. This is not intermittent power. This is reliable, resilient power -- regardless of the weather.”

Historically speaking, Chicago Pile-1 was constructed under a squash court under the University Of Chicago football stadium which was an initial human-made reactor leading events that reshaped global politics by producing nuclear energy opening realms for scientific exploration affecting modern society aspects, from weaponry to medicine.