The U.S. Department of Energy has announced $5 billion in federal grants for nuclear power, with most of the money going to six nuclear power plants in Illinois.
The funds will pay for upgrades at eight nuclear power plants in total, providing enough energy to power a million households in Illinois and beyond, state Sen. Li Arellano said. Arellano, a Republican from Dixon who represents the northern part of Peoria, said that because only part of the money will go to the two plants located outside the state, Illinois stands to benefit the most. “In addition to potentially bringing greater long-term benefits, it could also contribute to the creation of new union-covered jobs and attract significant funds from the global economy to Illinois,” he said.
The following nuclear plants are slated to receive federal funding: in Illinois, Braidwood Clean Energy Center, Byron Clean Energy Center, Clinton Clean Energy Center, Dresden Clean Energy Center, LaSalle Clean Energy Center and Quad Cities Clean Energy Center; in Maryland, Calvert Cliffs Clean Energy Center; and in Pennsylvania, Limerick Clean Energy Center. The six nuclear plants in Illinois have a combined 11 reactors. The Clinton plant has one reactor, while each of the other five has two.
“The upgrades will allow these plants to generate more power and extend their operating lives,” Arellano said. A resource adequacy study published in 2025 by the Illinois state energy agency, the state Environmental Protection Agency and the Illinois Commerce Commission found that the state could face an energy crisis as early as 2028. Illinois remains a net exporter of energy, meaning it produces more power than it needs. However, with the growth of the electric vehicle market and data centers, all U.S. states will have to significantly increase their energy production.
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Source: Polski.FM
