* This press release has it all…

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (May 6, 2015) – Hundreds of supporters gathered at the Illinois State Capitol to urge the General Assembly to pass the Low Carbon Portfolio Standard (LCPS) (HB 3293 & SB 1585), delivering over 10,000 petition signatures to legislative leaders in support of the bill. A press conference hosted by the Byron Chamber of Commerce preceded the rally and called for passage of the legislation by the full Illinois General Assembly.

“The Low Carbon Portfolio Standard is an all-of-the-above energy strategy that will help preserve our nuclear energy facilities and is critical for our economy,” said Senator Donne Trotter (D-Chicago), a sponsor of the bill. “This legislation will help prevent the loss of up to 8,000 jobs, support zero and low carbon energy sources to maintain our national leadership in low carbon energy, and will help ensure we have the energy we need as a state.”

Well, it has it all except for the name of the corporate entity behind today’s “rally”: Exelon.

Also, the phrase “support zero and low carbon energy sources” should be changed to a single “source”: Nukes. As we’ve discussed before, the bill is written in such a way that Exelon is the only company that would qualify for the massive subsidy.

Also, too, anybody wanna bet me 5 bucks that most of those “petition” signatures are from towns with nuclear power plants?

* Let’s read on…

Six nuclear plants in Illinois generate nearly half of the state’s electricity and 90 percent of its carbon-free power.

And yet Exelon is attempting to blackmail the entire state by threatening to shut down at least some of those power plants.

* Continuing…

Senator Sue Rezin (R-Peru), a chief co-sponsor of the legislation, thanked the broad coalition of supporters gathered in Springfield, and highlighted what’s at stake if some of Illinois’ nuclear plants close, which may occur without legislative action.

“Energy leaders, economists, environmentalists, small business owners, labor unions, community groups and residents from all corners of the state have gathered to send a message of support for Illinois’ nuclear plants,” said Rezin.

Substitute “energy leaders” with “Exelon execs.”

* And environmentalists too? Hmm…

“If any of our nuclear plants close it will impact everyone in Illinois – not just the plant communities – through higher energy rates, the loss of up to $1.8 billion in economic activity every year, 8,000 lost jobs and a less reliable energy grid. The best way to prevent their closure and these costs is to enact the Illinois Low Carbon Portfolio Standard.”

The LCPS is technology-neutral, allowing low carbon energy sources – including wind, solar, hydro, clean coal and nuclear – to compete on equal footing. The legislative proposal was one of the market-based policy solutions recommended in a January 2015 report by four Illinois state agencies that studied the economic and environmental benefits of the state’s nuclear energy facilities, and the potential costs of the early closure of the three most at-risk plants.

“We’re talking about almost 8,000 job losses alone if these plants close,” said Michael Carrigan, President of the Illinois AFL-CIO. “Our current energy policies don’t properly value the jobs, the reliability, the energy diversity and the carbon-free power that nuclear energy provides.”

Doug O’Brien, Executive Director of the Illinois Clean Energy Coalition (ICEC), stressed the urgency of the situation and the environmental benefits of nuclear energy for Illinois.

“In addition to the well-documented economic benefits of these plants, we must put a value on nuclear’s environmental benefits,” said O’Brien. “We can never hope to meet our goals for carbon reductions and make progress towards a cleaner environment if we abandon clean nuclear and increase our reliance on fossil fuels.”

As mentioned above, Exelon’s bill shuts out other alt energy producers.

* But, hey, we’ve found our “environmentalists”! Or maybe not. Guess who sits on the Illinois Clean Energy Coalition’s board?…

Marshall Murphy
Vice President, Exelon Generation

Dr. Phil O’Connor
Former Chairman, Illinois Commerce Commission

Kim Maisch
State Director, National Federation of Independent Businesses

Murphy and Maisch are self explanatory. O’Connor was a utility friendly ICC chairman back in the day.

Most of the rest of the board members are local officials in towns with nuclear plants.

* More…

The LCPS proposal includes strong consumer protections, including a consumer price cap that would limit the impact to a 2.015 percent increase, or about $2 per month for the average Illinois residential electricity customer. A separate customer rebate provision would provide a direct bill credit to customers if wholesale electricity prices exceed a specified level.

Hooray! Exelon is pro-consumer! Except the Citizens Utility Board strongly favors an alternate plan.

* Continuing…

“Investing in our nuclear plants is good for our economy, for Illinois businesses and residents,” said Omar Duque, President and CEO of the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. “Without these nuclear plants, we’ll lose billions of dollars in economic activity across the state. In addition, electric outages could occur more often and their lost generation could send power prices skyrocketing during peak demand. The Low Carbon Portfolio Standard is needed to prevent that possible outcome and encourage investment in Illinois.”

The state agency report found that closing the three at-risk nuclear energy facilities would result in $1.8 billion each year in lost economic activity, 8,000 job losses, and cost as much as $1.1 billion each year due to increases in carbon and other pollutants. According to a PJM analysis in the report, the plant shutdowns would result in up to $500 million annually in higher energy costs statewide. It concluded that, “Illinois’ continued economic success depends on maintaining low and stable electricity prices — and those low and stable prices depend on the continued operation of all nuclear generating stations located in Illinois.”

“The simple fact is, this is not a utility issue, this is a state issue,” said George S. Tolley, President, RCF Economic & Financial Consulting and Emeritus Professor of Economics, University of Chicago. “The nuclear plant closings would lead to significant losses in economic activity and jobs. The way our legislators respond will have long-term ramifications for the future of Illinois.”

Roderick Hawkins, Vice President of External Affairs for the Chicago Urban League, highlighted the importance of having a reliable supply of energy in Illinois. “When we need energy the most, especially during extreme weather, our homes and businesses are largely powered by nuclear energy,” said Hawkins. “The grid operator for northern Illinois has said it won’t be as reliable if the plants close. We can’t ignore this issue any longer.”

Minority group leaders are always an integral part of any utility-related PR bonanza. It’s been that way for years.

RCF Economic & Financial Consulting has done some work for ComEd in the past.

Also, Exelon is asking for $350 million in subsidies, which isn’t all that much lower than the “up to $500 million annually in higher energy costs” projected from plant closures.

* And, finally…

The negative impacts of closing the three at-risk nuclear plants would be especially pronounced in the local plant communities and regions of our state, according to local officials.

“Nuclear plant closings could be disastrous to the environment and the Illinois economy, but for me it’s even more personal than that - it’s the jobs, the families, the schools, the libraries, our police and firefighters who will be devastated by the closing of plants, including Byron,” said Deanna Mershon, Executive Director of the Byron Chamber of Commerce. “It’s the very fabric of our community that will be forever and irreparably harmed. Combined with the other adverse consequences of failing to act, I can’t imagine that the Illinois Legislature will fail to pass a Low Carbon Portfolio Standard and preserve these plants for all Illinoisans.”

Firefighters?! Nooooo!!!

Actually, Ms. Mershon is probably right. It’s not like Byron has any other major industrial property tax payers on the rolls. A plant closure would devastate that town.

So, instead of all this public blustering, how about everybody sits down and works out a compromise before doomsday hits?

[Headline explained here.]