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1 | SENATE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, Reliable, clean, and affordable electricity is | ||||||
3 | vital to Illinois for economic growth, jobs, and the overall | ||||||
4 | interests of its citizens; and
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5 | WHEREAS, Illinois' nuclear power plants provide over half | ||||||
6 | of the State's total electricity generation and are licensed to | ||||||
7 | generate affordable electricity for Illinois families and | ||||||
8 | businesses into the future; and
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9 | WHEREAS, Illinois had the twentieth lowest average price of | ||||||
10 | electricity across all sectors in 2019, and low-cost energy | ||||||
11 | resources give the State a significant advantage for attracting | ||||||
12 | and retaining businesses of all kinds and provide reliable | ||||||
13 | electricity to Illinois families; and
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14 | WHEREAS, Nuclear plants help Illinois avoid 45 million | ||||||
15 | metric tons of carbon emissions each year, equivalent to almost | ||||||
16 | 10 million cars or 70% of current State carbon emissions; and
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17 | WHEREAS, Within Illinois, six nuclear plants comprise | ||||||
18 | approximately 54% of the State's generation and 29% of its | ||||||
19 | generating capacity; and
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20 | WHEREAS, Illinois' nuclear plants account for $149 million |
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1 | in estimated annual State tax revenues; and
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2 | WHEREAS, Industry analysts and consultants, academic | ||||||
3 | analyses and studies, and market publications have reached | ||||||
4 | various conclusions regarding the economic viability of the | ||||||
5 | Braidwood, Byron, Dresden, and LaSalle nuclear power plants; | ||||||
6 | the shutdown of one or more of these valuable assets prior to | ||||||
7 | its license expiration will most likely cause economic, social, | ||||||
8 | and environmental harm to Illinois families and businesses; and
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9 | WHEREAS, Closing even a few nuclear power plants could make | ||||||
10 | achieving State and national carbon reduction goals difficult | ||||||
11 | or impossible; and
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12 | WHEREAS, It is of the highest importance that the State of | ||||||
13 | Illinois preserve its existing clean energy resources as a | ||||||
14 | means of achieving its clean energy goals, keeping energy costs | ||||||
15 | stable and reliable, and preserving jobs; therefore, be it
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16 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL | ||||||
17 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the Illinois | ||||||
18 | Commerce Commission to prepare a report examining the impact on | ||||||
19 | residential, commercial, and industrial electric rates from | ||||||
20 | the closure of Illinois' Braidwood, Byron, Dresden, and LaSalle | ||||||
21 | nuclear power plants prior to the expiration of their | ||||||
22 | respective licenses; and be it further
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1 | RESOLVED, That we urge the Illinois Power Agency to prepare | ||||||
2 | a report showing how the closure of the Braidwood, Byron, | ||||||
3 | Dresden, and LaSalle nuclear power plants prior to the | ||||||
4 | expiration of their respective licenses will affect | ||||||
5 | reliability and capacity for the Midwest region; and be it | ||||||
6 | further
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7 | RESOLVED, That we request the findings in those reports to | ||||||
8 | include potential market-based solutions to address any | ||||||
9 | negative impacts on residential, commercial, and industrial | ||||||
10 | electric rates, the negative affect on reliability and capacity | ||||||
11 | for the Midwest region, and the negative environmental impacts | ||||||
12 | from the closure of Illinois' nuclear power plants prior to the | ||||||
13 | expiration of their respective licenses, including an | ||||||
14 | examination of a Fixed Resource Requirement that prioritizes | ||||||
15 | carbon-free generators; and be it further
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16 | RESOLVED, That we request the findings in those reports to | ||||||
17 | include multiple scenarios, wherein one, two, three, and four | ||||||
18 | of these nuclear power plants close prior to the expiration of | ||||||
19 | their respective licenses; and be it further
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20 | RESOLVED, That we request the findings from those reports | ||||||
21 | to be presented to the General Assembly and the Governor before | ||||||
22 | November 10, 2020 for consideration and appropriate action; and |
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1 | be it further
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2 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | ||||||
3 | delivered to Governor JB Pritzker, Director of the Illinois | ||||||
4 | Power Agency Anthony Star, and Chairman of the Illinois | ||||||
5 | Commerce Commission Carrie Zalewski.
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