Nuclear Power

The owners of Byron Generating Station earned a pass from the Ogle County Zoning Board of Appeals to rezone 596.33 acres of land around the plant.

A meeting to hear a request to rezone 658.8 acres of land around the Byron Generating Station was postponed Tuesday night to allow for the completion of further documentation.

Legislation awaiting the governor’s signature would lift Illinois’ nuclear ban beginning in 2026 – but only for reactors that have an output of 300 megawatts or less.

The Byron Generating Station, located about 90 miles west of Chicago, is one of six nuclear plants in Illinois.

The Byron Generating Station is one of six nuclear plants in Illinois.

Legislation that would lift a 30-year moratorium on building new nuclear sites is awaiting action in the Illinois House. Though it’s strongly supported by some climate advocates, others say the risks of nuclear power outweigh its carbon-free emissions.

“The bill is going to come to the House with a lot of momentum,” state Sen. Sue Rezin said. “The unions are out and working their members to explain the importance of the bill and to just explain the technology.”

A measure allowing the construction of new commercial nuclear power plants has bipartisan, bicameral support in the state legislature as the body considers its next steps in meeting carbon-free energy goals while maintaining grid reliability.

An expert in the field will lecture on “Nuclear Accidents, Disasters and the Future” at 4 p.m. March 8 at Elmhurst University.

An Illinois House committee began preliminary conversations about lifting the ban on new nuclear developments in Illinois

State Senate passes energy bill containing $700 million five-year subsidy for nuclear plants, but House negotiations continue