Things have changed so much in two years, the owner of the nuclear power plants in Illinois wants to run some of them longer instead of closing them. Exelon Generation said two years ago it would close the Dresden and Byron power plants in 2021 if energy policy didn’t change. It said low energy prices and tax credits for other energy producers were making it hard to run nuclear power plants profitably.
Current owner Constellation Energy says state and federal credits have turned things around. It wants to extend the licenses for the Clinton and Dresden plants by 20 years. Clinton would run until 2047. The two reactors at Dresden would run until 2049 and 2051. The Byron plant’s reactors are licensed until 2044 and 2046, so no extension is planned there for now.