McLean County Times

Illinois state Rep. Bill Hauter, R-87th, criticized Gov. J.B. Pritzker's veto of legislation aimed at ending the state's moratorium on new nuclear power plants, emphasizing the need for future energy needs. The legislation intended to permit Small Modular Nuclear Reactors' construction in Illinois. 

“The governor refuses to act and think rationally when it comes to the future energy needs of working families,” Hauter told WMAY.

Pritzker vetoed legislation aimed at lifting the state's moratorium on the construction of new nuclear power plants, according to Energy News. The legislation, which would have allowed the development of advanced nuclear reactors such as Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (SMRs), passed with bipartisan support in May, but faced opposition from anti-nuclear activists and clean energy groups who argued other renewable sources could meet the state's energy needs more effectively.

The bill passed in the Senate on a count of 36-14 and in the House 84-22.

Energy bills for Ameren customers in southern Illinois doubled in early 2022 and blackout increased after Pritzker signed legislation creating shortfalls in energy production, according to a blog post for the Natural Resources Defense Council.

“Some grid operators blamed coal plant retirements, pointed to state policy changes like Illinois’ nation-leading Climate and Equitable Jobs Act and promoted fossil fuels as a reliability solution,” Meghan Hassett, Midwest campaign manager for the Center for Policy Advocacy, said in the NRDC blog post.

Notably, the first nuclear power reactor was constructed in a squash court under the University of Chicago football stadium. Named "Chicago Pile-1," this initial human-created nuclear reactor initiated a series of events that reshaped global politics, led to nuclear energy production, opened new realms of scientific inquiry and influenced key aspects of modern society, from weaponry to medicine, according to the University of Chicago.