Political wrangling over the issue
whether nuclear plants should get the same “clean energy” preferences now
provided for wind and solar power in the state, and the prospect of a $2.00 per
month increase in electric bills to consumers have delayed efforts to provide
rate relief that could keep Commonwealth Edison’s six aging nuclear generation
plants on line for many more years, save the jobs of thousands of nuclear plant
employees, and help Illinois meet carbon emission reduction goals.
Opponents of the various solutions
now on the legislative agenda say that proposed peak demand billing to
residential customers is a corporate bailout for Com Ed, rather than an
incentive to increasing energy efficiency in the state. Meanwhile, the issue is
complicated by super majority voting requirements resulting from the Illinois
Legislature’s failure to resolve balanced budget issues during the regular
session which closed at the end of May.
