Illinois set to get back in nuclear power race
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Some Illinois lawmakers are fighting to lift a decades-old ban on the construction of new nuclear power plants, potentially putting the state in the first wave of a national nuclear renaissance.
Supporters of the idea, spurred by federal incentives aimed at kickstarting the industry nationwide, say the economic benefits in both construction jobs and electricity prices could be huge.
“Everybody can create all these imaginary ‘horribles,'” said state Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline, who has sponsored legislation to allow new plants in the state. “We should be thinking about how we can ensure that Illinois, with its leadership in nuclear power, keeps that.”
But opponents worry that Illinois — already home to the nation’s highest nuclear capacity — would become a natural destination for nuclear waste from other parts of the country if more plants are added in the state.
“There shouldn’t be any more new ones until you’ve dealt with the waste from the old ones,” said Dave Kraft, director of the Nuclear Energy Information Service, a nuclear power watchdog group in Chicago.
