State legislation: Illinois bill aims to lift state’s remaining nuclear moratorium
A bill that would fully repeal the state’s entire moratorium on new nuclear projects survived a key deadline in the Illinois General Assembly last week.
To stay afloat in the spring legislative session, bills needed to be assigned to committee by March 21, and state Sen. Sue Rezin’s Senate Bill 1527 now sits with the Senate’s Energy and Public Utilities committee for review.
Illinois lifted part of the moratorium in 2023 when another bill sponsored by Rezin (R., Dist. 38) was signed into law, permitting small modular reactors generating up to 300 MW of power. Now some lawmakers want to see broader permissions to deploy more nuclear power in Illinois.
Currently, Illinois has six nuclear plants—more than any other state— that produce a total of 8,200 megawatt-hours, supplying nearly half of the state’s power. After Illinois, the top nuclear-producing states are Pennsylvania, Alabama, South Carolina, and North Carolina.
Rezin
Quotable: “Senate Bill 1527 will remove unnecessary restrictions and allow Illinois to advance new nuclear projects. As other states and nations invest in nuclear power, Illinois cannot afford to be left behind,” Rezin said in an opinion piece published in Crain’s Chicago Business on March 24. Rezin coauthored with Mark Denzler, president and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, and James M. Sweeney, president and business manager of the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 150, AFL-CIO.
The commentary goes on to say: “In recent years, experts have warned that Illinois is on track to shift from a net exporter to a net importer of energy, making us dependent on neighboring states for our power demands. At the same time, power demand is projected to skyrocket due to AI-driven data centers, onshoring of manufacturing, and broader energy transitions. FTI Consulting estimates that U.S. data centers alone could add 60–90 gigawatts of demand by 2030. With fossil fuel plant closures, the need for stable baseload energy like nuclear has never been greater.”
A closer look: S.B. 1527 would amend the state’s Public Utilities Act, removing the provision that prohibits new nuclear projects larger than 300 MW until the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security confirm that the federal government has identified and approved “a demonstrable technology or means for the disposal of high level nuclear waste.”
“While responsible waste management is essential, this restriction is outdated,” Rezin’s opinion piece reads. “Federal regulations already ensure safe storage, and modern technology has improved waste handling. . . . [Other states] are advancing nuclear projects while Illinois remains stuck in the past.
Background: Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed H.B. 2473 into law in December 2023, partially lifting the ban.
The new law called for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to support a new study of the state’s role in guiding new nuclear technology. And it directed the state’s emergency management and homeland security offices to establish rules for reactor decommissioning, environmental monitoring, and emergency preparedness. Both tasks have a due date of January 1, 2026, which is when advanced reactor construction will be authorized.
While S.B. 1527, would enable large-scale nuclear projects in Illinois, the U.S. nuclear industry has only seen two new plants added to the fleet during the past 30 years.
But Rezin and others said momentum for nuclear energy is growing nationwide and around the world.
“Over the past year, 25 states have taken pronuclear actions, and more than 300 bills have been introduced to support nuclear development,” said Rezin in Crain’s. “Even tech giants like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google are investing in nuclear energy to power their future operations. Illinois must keep pace.
This story is the third in an ongoing series spotlighting various state legislative efforts to expand nuclear. Find out what Iowa and Indiana are doing to support nuclear.
