Illinois’ nuclear moment

Illinois is entering a new era of rising electricity demand. Electrification of home heating, electric vehicles, manufacturing growth, and new AI data centers are all driving that increase. At the same time, older power plants are retiring before replacements are fully in place, tightening supply and putting grid reliability at risk. If we don’t act, the result could be blackouts.

We already have a key part of the solution: Illinois’ rock-solid nuclear fleet, which provides more than half of our in-state electricity. Gov. Pritzker, recognizing this, announced an executive order in his February State of the State address, with a goal of adding two gigawatts of new nuclear generation (nearly as much as one of our two-reactor plants produces today).

Additional nuclear capacity can help us meet this challenge, but new builds won’t just happen. We will need to step up to the plate.

Illinois’ moratorium on new nuclear construction was recently repealed as part of the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act. Gov. Pritzker’s EO launches a working group to identify hurdles and recommend new legislation to accelerate the safe deployment of more nuclear. These proposals should be out by late summer and can be taken up in the Spring 2027 state legislative session.

It’s now (finally) legal to build more nuclear in our state, and that is cause for celebration! However, much work remains.

Illinois is already working to build more solar and wind generation, helping us make progress toward our clean energy goals. While these technologies play an important part for us, they are still weather-dependent and cannot be simply turned on (“dispatched”) when needed. To augment them, we need clean, dispatchable generation like nuclear, which is reliable, 24/7 and carbon-free. Research shows that adding even a modest amount of nuclear generation to systems with high levels of wind and solar can significantly reduce the cost of maintaining reliable service.

This discussion should not be about renewables vs. nuclear; it should be about renewables plus nuclear.

However, we are in competition with other states who want to attract nuclear. State legislatures across the nation are enacting laws to enable faster permitting, provide

incentives to developers and invest in workforce expansion. Developers will not simply show up because we already have nuclear. We must compete for their investment. We must give them good reasons to choose Illinois. As the governor said in his State of the State address, “Illinois is already number one in clean nuclear energy production. That is a leadership mantle we must hold onto.” In order not to lose that leadership position, we must actively compete.

And this competition is not theoretical — it is already underway. The federal government is actively shaping where the next generation of nuclear investment will go. The U.S. Department of Energy has issued a request for information seeking to identify sites for new Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses. These are large-scale hubs that could include advanced reactors, fuel cycle facilities, and supporting industries. States across the country have prepared and submitted responses, and Illinois is among them. This is a live competition happening right now, with billions in potential investment and long-term economic impact at stake.

The working group created by the Governor’s EO will recommend legislation addressing permitting and regulatory clarity, workforce development, market rules, and supply chain investment. This legislation is not optional. Without it, new nuclear projects will not move forward. Nuclear power plants are big infrastructure, and they require exceptional policy clarity to get started.

Here’s where the public comes in: contact your legislators. Ask them to support policies that enable and encourage new nuclear development. Ask them to ensure Illinois is competitive. And remind them that having more reliable, clean power depends on it.

Contacting your state senators and representatives now helps them get the message before bills are written and positions are locked in.

The reliability and affordability of the electricity our society depends on is at stake. So are our climate goals. Illinois can lead the next generation of nuclear energy, just as we lead today — but leadership is not something we declare. It is something we build.

If we want to remain number one, we need to act like it — and that starts now.

• Alan Medsker is an independent nuclear energy advocate. He serves as a board member at large for the Chicago-Great Lakes section of the American Nuclear Society.