Full Text of SR1195 101st General Assembly
SR1195 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
| 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
| 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
| 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
| 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
| 17 | | WHEREAS, Within Illinois, six nuclear plants comprise | 18 | | approximately 54% of the State's generation and 29% of its | 19 | | generating capacity; and
| 20 | | WHEREAS, Illinois' nuclear plants account for $149 million |
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| 1 | | in estimated annual State tax revenues; and
| 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
| 9 | | WHEREAS, Closing even a few nuclear power plants could make | 10 | | achieving State and national carbon reduction goals difficult | 11 | | or impossible; and
| 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
| 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
| 7 | | RESOLVED, That we urge the Illinois Environmental | 8 | | Protection Agency to prepare a report examining the carbon and | 9 | | air pollution impacts of the closure of the Braidwood, Byron, | 10 | | Dresden, and LaSalle nuclear plants prior to the expiration of | 11 | | their respective licenses; and be it further
| 12 | | RESOLVED, That we request the findings in those reports to | 13 | | include potential market-based solutions to address any | 14 | | negative impacts on residential, commercial, and industrial | 15 | | electric rates, the negative affect on reliability and capacity | 16 | | for the Midwest region, and the negative environmental impacts | 17 | | from the closure of Illinois' nuclear power plants prior to the | 18 | | expiration of their respective licenses, including an | 19 | | examination of a Fixed Resource Requirement that prioritizes | 20 | | carbon-free generators; and be it further
| 21 | | RESOLVED, That we request the findings in those reports to | 22 | | include multiple scenarios, wherein one, two, three, and four |
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| 1 | | of these nuclear power plants close prior to the expiration of | 2 | | their respective licenses; and be it further
| 3 | | RESOLVED, That we request the findings from those reports | 4 | | to be presented to the General Assembly and the Governor before | 5 | | September 1, 2020 for consideration and appropriate action; and | 6 | | be it further
| 7 | | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | 8 | | delivered to Governor JB Pritzker, Director of the Illinois | 9 | | Power Agency Anthony Star, Director of the Illinois | 10 | | Environmental Protection Agency John Kim, and Chairman of the | 11 | | Illinois Commerce Commission Carrie Zalewski.
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