By WJBC Staff
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Senate passed a massive clean energy bill early Wednesday morning.
The measure closes many private coal-fired power plants by 2030 and municipally-owned Prairie State in the metro-east and CWLP in Springfield by 2045.
The bill also aims to have one million electric cars on the road by 2030 and provides subsidies to Exelon to keep the Dresden and Byron nuclear plants open, that gubernatorial candidate, and State Senator Darrin Bailey (R-Louisville) strongly opposed.
“Our state government has allowed Illinois workers to be held hostage by corrupt, crony, corporate crime syndicate. Think about that for a minute. We’ve been threatened and pushed around by a corporation that has admitted to doing criminal wrongdoing.”
According to State Senator Sue Rezin (R-Morris), allowing the plants to remain open is a huge win.
“With this bill, we can protect those jobs and help reinstall stability in their lives. This bill would build a 100% clean energy economy in Illinois and preserve the state’s nuclear fleet.”
Under the plan, it’s estimated that residential ratepayers would see a 3% increase in their monthly bills.
The measure now moves to the House, where negotiations are expected to continue.
Blake Haas can be reached at [email protected].
