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First-of-Its-Kind Nuclear Reactor Could Come to Illinois
And Events Around the City
Landon Campbell
January 13, 2025
91st Edition
This Week on Landon’s Loop:
☢️ First-of-Its-Kind Nuclear Reactor Could Come to Illinois
📊 Chart of the Week
📆 Events Around the City
☢️ First-of-Its-Kind Nuclear Reactor Could Come to Illinois
DeWitt County, Illinois, is being considered as a potential site for a small modular nuclear reactor, which could become one of the first in the nation.
Clinton Power Station in DeWitt County
We’ve covered SMRs in depth on this blog, but let’s dive into the specifics:
The Proposal
SMRs represent a new era in nuclear energy, offering several key advantages over traditional nuclear power plants.
Constellation Energy recently approached the DeWitt County Board with a letter of support for a US Department of Energy grant to construct an SMR in the area.
This proposal offers several benefits, including reliable clean energy generation, economic development, and job creation. It would also position DeWitt County as a leader in next-generation energy technology.
Notably, DeWitt County is already home to the Clinton Power Station, a large-scale reactor capable of supplying electricity to 800,000 homes.
Illinois currently has a moratorium on the construction of new nuclear facilities until 2026. So any construction related to the proposed SMR must wait until the moratorium expires.
Why Illinois
This proposal aligns with broader developments in the Illinois nuclear energy landscape, such as Constellation’s record-setting $1B federal procurement deal to supply clean energy, including power from Illinois-based nuclear plants.
Our state’s nuclear fleet remains the backbone of the state’s carbon-free energy supply, producing nearly 90% of its clean energy.
The federal government’s growing support for nuclear energy highlights the importance of these investments for both economic and environmental goals.
Illinois consistently outperforms other major metros in electricity reliability and clean energy production, thanks to its robust nuclear arsenal.
This SMR proposal would continues our state’s tradition of leveraging nuclear power to drive sustainable energy solutions.
📊 Chart of the Week
This chart shows how our grid performed in 2024, mainly driven by nuclear power.
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