Full Text of SR1196 101st General Assembly
SR1196 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, Reliable, clean, and affordable electricity is | 3 | | vital to Illinois' 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, The premature closure of nuclear power plants | 15 | | could increase electric prices for families and businesses by | 16 | | up to $483,000,000 annually; and | 17 | | WHEREAS, Nuclear plants help Illinois avoid 45 million | 18 | | metric tons of carbon emissions each year, equivalent to almost | 19 | | 10 million cars or 70% of current State carbon emissions; and | 20 | | WHEREAS, Within Illinois, six nuclear plants comprise |
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| 1 | | approximately 54% of the State's generation and 29% of its | 2 | | generating capacity; and | 3 | | WHEREAS, Illinois nuclear plants account for $149 million | 4 | | in estimated annual Illinois State tax revenues; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Industry analysts and consultants, academic | 6 | | analyses and studies, and market publications have reached | 7 | | various conclusions regarding the economic viability of some | 8 | | Illinois nuclear power plants; the premature shutdown of one or | 9 | | more of these valuable assets will most likely cause economic, | 10 | | social, and environmental harm to Illinois families and | 11 | | businesses; and
| 12 | | WHEREAS, Closing even a few nuclear power plants could make | 13 | | achieving State and national carbon reduction goals difficult | 14 | | or impossible; and
| 15 | | WHEREAS, It is of the highest importance that the State of | 16 | | Illinois preserve its existing clean energy resources as a | 17 | | means of achieving its clean energy goals, keeping energy costs | 18 | | stable and reliable, and preserving jobs; therefore, be it
| 19 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL | 20 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge PJM | 21 | | Interconnection, LLC to expeditiously adopt market rules and |
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| 1 | | policies that will ensure the continued operation of the | 2 | | existing fleet of nuclear power plants or the abatement of the | 3 | | equivalent amount of emissions avoided by use of nuclear energy | 4 | | generation in Illinois; and be it further | 5 | | RESOLVED, That we urge PJM Interconnection, LLC to prepare | 6 | | a report showing how the premature closure of the Braidwood, | 7 | | Byron, Dresden, and Lasalle nuclear power plants in Illinois | 8 | | will affect reliability and capacity for the Midwest region and | 9 | | the impact on wholesale electric rates; and be it further | 10 | | RESOLVED, That we urge the findings of this report to | 11 | | include potential market-based options, including a Fixed | 12 | | Resource Requirement that prioritizes carbon-free generators, | 13 | | that could ensure that the premature closure of these nuclear | 14 | | power plants does not occur and that the dire consequences to | 15 | | the economy, jobs, and the environment would be averted; and be | 16 | | it further | 17 | | RESOLVED, That we urge PJM Interconnection, LLC to postpone | 18 | | the next capacity auction until Illinois has an opportunity to | 19 | | develop and implement a solution that will enable the State to | 20 | | meet its clean energy goals; and be it further | 21 | | RESOLVED, That we urge the findings from those reports to | 22 | | be presented to the General Assembly and the Governor before |
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| 1 | | September 1, 2020 for consideration and appropriate action; and | 2 | | be it further
| 3 | | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | 4 | | delivered to Governor J.B. Prizker and Manu Asthana, President | 5 | | and Chief Executive Officer of PJM Interconnection, LLC.
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