The Dresden nuclear power plant near Morris will close by November next year and the Byron nuclear power plant near Rockford will close by next September—unless energy policy changes. Exelon Generation says Dresden and Byron are victims of falling energy prices and poorly crafted policy.
Company CEO Christopher Crane says negotiating better policy with the people who make it could save the 1,500 full time, permanent jobs and 2,000 occasional, temporary refueling jobs. But as it is, the company says Dresden and Byron are losing money because power plants run on fossil fuel get breaks that let them underbid nuclear power in the energy markets. And the company warns that the LaSalle and Braidwood stations are at high risk of closure.
Any deals with the state will likely get intense scrutiny, considering ComEd recently agreed to pay a $200 million fine for trying to bribe people who could influence Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan.