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* Subscribers know more about the negotiations and the possible return to Springfield. Here’s WTTW…
Illinois legislators may be back in Springfield soon for another summer special session, to try once again to pass a massive energy package that thus far has proven elusive.
The result – be it passage of a new law, or a continued stalemate — will impact everything from Illinois’ role in climate change to your energy bill. […]
“This particular plant [in Byron] has a fixed amount of fuel loaded in it and that was loaded 18 months ago,” said Exelon Executive Vice President and Chief Generation Officer Bryan Hanson. “That fuel is losing energy. In fact I think in the next couple of days we’ll start to see the reactor lose its power, from 100% power it will slowly trickle down to about 70% power, then the plant shuts down on Sept. 13.” […]
“Until we submit that letter to permanently defuel operations, we can reverse but reversing a decision like we’re mad is like turning a cruise ship around,” Hanson said.
He says once the letter to decommission is submitted – once the fuel rod’s removed – Byron is closed. Forever.
Thoughts?
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Aug 18, 21 @ 8:22 am
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Previous Post: Another day, another lawsuit
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They are saying that because I believe there was some speculation that if the plant closed in September, and a bill passed in veto, that they could start back up.
Comment by Ok Wednesday, Aug 18, 21 @ 8:32 am
Living in the shadows of the Byron towers, I want to thank Sen Pres Harmon and his CoS Jake for their derailing of a deal. Great job guys. And, yes, I get the problems with ComEd and Exelon, but the IBEW guys on my block didn’t make the problem.
Comment by 100 miles west Wednesday, Aug 18, 21 @ 8:45 am
If the plant shuts down ratepayers and taxpayers will save hundreds of millions of dollars in subsidy payments to a group that has a history of corrupt behavior.
No one’s lights will go off if this plant closes. We can easily get our power off the national grid.
It is time to see some consequences for Com Ed’s behavior.
Comment by Back to the Future Wednesday, Aug 18, 21 @ 8:50 am
love 2 shut down non-carbon power as the globe burns and burns
keep byron open and build 10 more.
Comment by brugroffil Wednesday, Aug 18, 21 @ 9:04 am
Having spent several years at ComEd, this is long overdue. Spending hundreds of millions of dollars in subsidies to stay off a shut down for a few years is ridiculous. This plant will close in the next 7 years no matter how much subsidy it is given so why subsidize for a few years. I get it those are great paying jobs but why are the people living on the West Side and South Side of Chicago subsidizing jobs in Byron?
Comment by X-nuke Wednesday, Aug 18, 21 @ 9:04 am
===so why subsidize for a few years===
Because Exelon is spinning off its generating unit later this year and needs to prop up its stock price?
Just a guess. lol
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Aug 18, 21 @ 9:07 am
=Great job guys. And, yes, I get the problems with ComEd and Exelon, but the IBEW guys on my block didn’t make the problem.=
Those “living in the shadow” of the plants have had it very, very good for a long time. But in the last few go arounds we have all been squeezed by exelon/com ed and bailed out these plants to the benefit of a very small group of people.
What is wrong about the situation from my perspective, is that we pay exelon twice. With tax dollars to bailout their failure to run a business competitively and live within their means. Then I get big rate increases. And really, it is three times because we are also paying for infrastructure work. some where the rest of us should benefit from this process with reasonably priced electricity.
Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Aug 18, 21 @ 9:09 am
==Because Exelon is spinning off its generating unit later this year and needs to prop up its stock price?==
A big problem with allowing private for profit businesses run something as necessary as power generation: they threaten to sabotage a vital utility if taxpayers don’t send money their way. Not that they’re short on money, they just would rather close power plants than cut into their nice market cap
Comment by Incandenza Wednesday, Aug 18, 21 @ 9:33 am
Unit 1 went on line in 1985 and Unit 2 in 1987. Why not just refuel Unit 2? Both plants are already past their 30 year life. Subsidizing these plants puts pressure on rates and that is not helpful to other resources in need of development.
Comment by Al Wednesday, Aug 18, 21 @ 9:34 am
>three times because we are also paying for infrastructure work
Four if we count the decomissioning costs we won’t make them cover before they’ve safely booked their profits and positioned themselves for bankruptcy.
Comment by Earnest Wednesday, Aug 18, 21 @ 9:35 am
I hope “100mileswest” doesn’t have any legislation sitting in the Sen Assignment Committer. Lol
Comment by Wow Wednesday, Aug 18, 21 @ 9:49 am
Replacing Byron with wind turbines would not be easy, requiring roughly a doubling of the existing Illinois wind turbine output. Part of the problem is that wind turbine output drops 50% in the summer months, when needed for A/C.
Comment by Old Illini Wednesday, Aug 18, 21 @ 9:58 am
==Because Exelon is spinning off its generating unit later this year and needs to prop up its stock price?==
Bingo
Comment by Streamwood Retiree Wednesday, Aug 18, 21 @ 10:07 am
“Both plants are already past their 30 year life. Subsidizing these plants puts pressure on rates and that is not helpful to other resources in need of development”
In 2015 NRC granted a 20-year extention to the plant’s license to operate, which was after an extensive and expensive review process.
US NRC …
Location: Byron, IL (17 miles SW of Rockford, IL) in Region III
Operator: Exelon Generation Co., LLC
Operating License: Issued - 02/14/1985, Expires - 10/31/2044
Comment by Donnie Elgin Wednesday, Aug 18, 21 @ 10:14 am
Excelon knows the hostage taking is ending with the plant being at end-of-life, and now they are maneuvering to dine-and-dash on the decommissioning expenses.
Comment by Give Us Barabbas Wednesday, Aug 18, 21 @ 10:15 am
Bill Gates is building safer next-gen atomic power in Wyoming on the site of a defunct coal plant. We should get him over here in Illinois. Could probably build the new plant on the existing Byron property.
Comment by Give Us Barabbas Wednesday, Aug 18, 21 @ 10:18 am
===Bill Gates is building safer next-gen atomic power in Wyoming===
Is he using that plant to power the chip implants embedded in the vaccine? /s
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Aug 18, 21 @ 10:21 am
It’s always sad to see someone lose their livelihood, but politicians need to do what is best for the State as a whole. Investing in outdated nuclear facilities run by a corrupt company don’t seem to be in the best interest of the State. I’d rather we spend that money on new nuclear infrastructure which is both safer and more efficient.
Comment by Nick Nombre Wednesday, Aug 18, 21 @ 10:39 am
“Bill Gates is building safer next-gen atomic power in Wyoming on the site of a defunct coal plant”
Glad to see Gates working on this - don’t hold your breath. The NRC Nuclear Power Plant Licensing Process ( two environmental reviews, two safety reviews, multiple hearings…) is very involved. Takes a minimum of 5 years, more likely 10. There is a nice graphic here:
https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/licensing-process-fs.html
Comment by Donnie Elgin Wednesday, Aug 18, 21 @ 10:56 am
Gates’ project is called terrapower. It converts waste or expired uranium fuel Todd back into useable fuel while reducing their half life.
Illinois has a stockpile of used fuel rods that would be a natural fit for this technology, which can’t be used for weapons proliferation, and is designed to be meltdown-proof.
Comment by Give Us Barabbas Wednesday, Aug 18, 21 @ 11:27 am
@- X-nuke - Wednesday, Aug 18, 21 @ 9:04 am:===but why are the people living on the West Side and South Side of Chicago subsidizing jobs in Byron?===
That area had a couple of the old coal plants that were able to be closed because the nukes had enough power to supply what was previously supplied by those coal plants. That area has much cleaner air then they had, but it costs an extra on the bill for all Comed customers.
Comment by DuPage Wednesday, Aug 18, 21 @ 11:30 am
The Dems and their veto proof majority could address this any time they wanted if they weren’t so busy with their circular firing squad. Nice job gang.
Comment by Out of Illinois Wednesday, Aug 18, 21 @ 12:44 pm
We’re running out of time to address climate change in a significant way. The billions of dollars being channeled into advanced nuclear demonstration projects could go elsewhere in the climate crisis fight.
We’ve been here before: Wyoming nuclear project echoes of the past
https://www.wyofile.com/weve-been-here-before-wyoming-nuclear-project-echoes-of-past/
Comment by Going nuclear Wednesday, Aug 18, 21 @ 12:45 pm
===The Dems and their veto proof majority could address this any time they wanted if they weren’t so busy with their circular firing squad.===
It’s actually Harmon, his CoS, and labor.
If you were in Illinois …you’d know that.
It’s kinda creepy your concern written under the “Out of Illinois” monicker. It’s like Illinois lives in your head, rent free. lol
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Aug 18, 21 @ 12:48 pm
I still live here. Got one more to get through the suburban schools before we leave for good, but my point still stands. Dems fighting with Dems are holding this up. As Will Rogers used to say, I don’t belong to an organized political party, I’m a Democrat.
Comment by Out of Illinois Wednesday, Aug 18, 21 @ 1:21 pm
=== I still live here.===
I think you said specifically how grateful you are every day that you’re out of Illinois.
Want me to show you where?
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Aug 18, 21 @ 1:24 pm
===point still stands===
… that you are clueless to what’s at play?
Fine. It still stands. No argument there.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Aug 18, 21 @ 1:30 pm
Exelon learned how to “navigate” Illinois politics from Mr Madigan. I expect subsidies will be approved and Byron will remain online. At the end of the day, Illinois has relatively cheap power, better reliability and a smaller carbon footprint than most states. All a result of the large nuclear fleet in the state. Exelon knows it and the legislature knows it.
Comment by Jed Wednesday, Aug 18, 21 @ 1:39 pm
There are massive subsidies given to wind/solar, just through federal funds so it’s not a line item on your bill, but that doesn’t mean you’re not paying for it. This is what happens when you start down the subsidies road and soon everyone has their hand out. Why shouldn’t nukes be subsidized when others are? The free market ship has already sailed…
Comment by Pat Wednesday, Aug 18, 21 @ 2:52 pm
ComEd and Exelon, but the IBEW guys on my block didn’t make the problem.
Does every decision made by the Supermajority Legislature in Illinois have to come down to what the Unions wants/dictates…..?
Comment by Disappointed Female Suburban Wednesday, Aug 18, 21 @ 3:32 pm
I would rather spend an extra 80 cents a month on reliable energy then have rolling blackouts or what happened in Texas last winter. You may be able to buy power off the grid but the majority of is it from coal and gas plants.
Comment by Rick Wednesday, Aug 18, 21 @ 3:34 pm
Exelon supposedly needs the subsidies for their nukes to be competitive with natural gas. As the price of nat gas has more than doubled in the past year, they still have their well manicured hands out. This begging is nothing more than shareholder extortion with human shield workers and communities.
Comment by VerySmallRocks Wednesday, Aug 18, 21 @ 4:38 pm
Early closure of any nuclear power plant is a tragedy. If you’re going to spend the time, effort, and carbon budget to build them keep them running.
Close the nukes only after the coal & gas.
Comment by Odysseus Wednesday, Aug 18, 21 @ 4:50 pm
VerySmallRocks you’re right, but that’s not really fair. Natural gas was at a record low last year due to Covid. If you compare it to 18/19 then it’s up, but not double. Certainly not to the point where the nukes are competitive. They might be if wind/solar wasn’t so heavily subsidized and natural gas stays at/above where it’s at now (which I doubt it will).
Comment by Pat Wednesday, Aug 18, 21 @ 5:17 pm
I was out by the Byron plant today. Lots of Save Our Nukes signs, Unmask Our Kids signs, and Pritzker Sucks signs. Let them save their own nukes, I don’t agree with one more taxpayer dollar going to this boondoggle.
Comment by Excitable Boy Wednesday, Aug 18, 21 @ 5:21 pm
Evidently there is a lot of smart people living by Byron station
Comment by Rick Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 9:02 pm