>> LESS THAN TWO WEEKS REMAIN
UNTIL EXELON SAYS IT WILL CLOSE
A PAIR OF NUCLEAR PLANTS IN
ILLINOIS.
LEGISLATORS ARE WORKING TO KEEP
THEM OPEN.
THERE IS NO CONCRETE PATH.
AMANDA VINICKY JOINS US NOW WITH
MORE.
AMANDA ARE THEY AT LEAST CLOSE?
>> PARIS, YOU DESCRIBED IT AS A
SPARK AND THAT IS TRUE.
ALBEIT A SMALL ONE WHILE MOST
YOU WERE PROBABLY ASLEEP AT 1:00
A.M., THE ILLINOIS SENATE PASSED
A MASSIVE ENERGY BILL AND THAT
IS MORE MORE.
THAN THERE HAS BEEN.
AND THIS MEASURE WILL HAVE
CUSTOMERS PAYING A CHARGE ON THE
ELECTRIC BILL TO KEEP THE
NUCLEAR PLANTS OPEN BUT IT SETS
TARGETS FOR MOVING ILLINOIS TO
RELY SOLELY ON RENEWABLE ENERGY
AND IT DOES MORE.
>> THIS IS ABOUT EQUITY, THIS IS
ABOUT JOBS AND ECONOMIC
OPPORTUNITY.
THIS IS ABOUT SUPPORTING
COMMUNITIES THAT ARE IN
TRANSITION RIGHT NOW AND ARE
ALREADY EXPERIENCING THE CLOSURE
OF FOSSIL FUEL PLANTS NOT
BECAUSE OF LEGISLATION BUT
BECAUSE COAL AND OTHER DIRTY
FOSSIL FUELS ARE BEING PUSHED
OUT OF THE MARKET BECAUSE THEY
ARE UNCOMPETITIVE.
>> LET'S UNFOLD THIS THIS
OMNIBUS PACKAGE, EXELON SAYS THE
PLANTS ARE LOSING MONEY SO
WITHOUT A SUBSIDY IT WILL SHUT
THEM DOWN AND IN BYRON, IT WILL
COMBINE DEACTIVATING A GENERATOR
SEPTEMBER 13TH AND THAT WOULD
MEAN THE LOSS OF THOUSANDS OF
JOBS AND COULD UNDERMINE
ILLINOIS' CLIMATE GOALS BECAUSE
ILLINOIS' NUCLEAR FLEET IS
RESPONSIBLE FOR MORE THAN HALF
OF ALL OF THE ENERGY PRODUCED IN
THE STATE BUT ALSO, THE VAST
MAJORITY OF CARBON FREE ENERGY.
BOB GALLO DIRECTOR OF AARP
ILLINOIS SAYS CUSTOMERS SHOULD
NOT BE FOOTING THE BILL TO KEEP
THESE PLANTS OPEN, AARP DID A
STUDY AND IN IT ESTIMATES THAT
IT WILL COST RATEPAYERS $14
BILLION OVER THE NEXT DECADE.
>> OUR CONCERN ALL ALONG HAS
BEEN MAKING SURE THAT RATEPAYERS
ARE REPRESENTED IN THESE
CONVERSATIONS AND TO DATE THEY
HAVEN'T.
AND THERE'S SUCH A DEJA VU ALL
OVER AGAIN ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON
WITH ComEd AND EXELON.
THIS IS LIKE A LET'S MAKE A DEAL
WITH THE LEGISLATURE
>> NOW, THAT IS IN REFERENCE TO
THE LEGAL TROUBLE THAT EXELON
ComEd IS IN IN PART BECAUSE
OF AN ALLEGED BRIBERY SCANDAL IN
WHICH THE COMPANY WORKED TO PASS
A LAW SEVERAL YEARS AGO THAT
SIMILARLY BAILED OUT NUCLEAR
PLANTS IN CLINTON AND THE QUAD
CITIES.
BUT THIS IS FAR FROM THE ONLY
HURDLE.
A MAJOR OBSTACLE HAS BEEN OVER
HOW AND WHEN ILLINOIS WILL SCALE
DOWN COAL-FIRED POWER PLANTS.
GOVERNOR J.B. PRITZKER AND
ENVIRONMENTALISTS WANT ALL COAL
PLANTS CLOSED BY THE YEAR 2045.
AGAIN, ALL OF THEM.
THEY ALSO WANT ALL OF THESE
PLANTS ESPECIALLY ONE THAT
OUTSIDE OF ST. LOUIS THAT HAS
CONTRACTS WITH THE
MUNICIPALITIES INCLUDING
NAPERVILLE TO HAVE TO RAMP DOWN
PRODUCTION UNTIL THAT CLOSING
DATE.
>> ULTIMATELY, WE NEED TO PHASE
OUT FOSSIL FUELS FROM OUR
ECONOMY ALTOGETHER BUT WE HAVE
TO MAKE EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS
QUICKLY THIS IS TIME SENSITIVE.
THE LONGER WE WAIT THE MORE TONS
OF CARBON GO INTO THE
ATMOSPHERE, THE MORE THE PLANET
GETS HOTTER.
SO IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO HAVE A
DATE WHERE WE ARE GOING TO DO
THIS IN THE FUTURE.
WE HAVE TO HAVE THOSE DATES BUT
WE NEED TO START ACTING RIGHT
NOW.
>> BUT CRITICS INCLUDING
LEGISLATORS FROM DOWN STATE SAY
THAT PREMATURE TARGETS AND
CLOSURE ALSO FORCE ILLINOIS TO
IMPORT ENERGY FROM NEIGHBORING
STATES.
>> AN ISSUE PRESS RELEASES THAT
WILL BE THE TOUGHEST STATE IN
THE UNION WE ARE GOING TO GET
RID OF CARBON.
REALLY?
BECAUSE HERE IS WHAT IS GOING TO
HAPPEN.
DO YOU KNOW WHERE ALL THE
ELECTRONS WILL COME FROM?
THEY WILL GET BACKFILLED FROM
INDIANA AND KENTUCKY WHICH ARE
CARBON.
>> THAT HE SAYS OR RISK ROLLING
BROWNOUTS TO WHICH MICHAEL
HASTINGS HAD THIS RESPONSE.
>> THAT'S SOME BOOGIE MAN TALK
IF YOU ARE RUNNING FOR POLITICAL
OFFICE.
THERE IS MECHANISMS IN THIS BILL
THAT WILL DETERMINE WHETHER OR
NOT THE BASE LOAD GENERATION FOR
THE STATE IS ADEQUATE ENOUGH TO
MEET THE DEMANDS OF THE
CONSUMERS.
>> NOW, YOU HAVE OTHER
LEGISLATORS OPPOSING SOMETHING
THAT IS A GUIDING PRINCIPLE OF
THIS ENDEAVOR AND THAT IS STATE
SUPPORT, YES, TAXPAYER MONEY,
FOR WIND AND SOLAR ENERGY
COMPANIES.
STATE SENATOR NEIL ANDERSON
CALLS INEFFICIENT POWER SOURCES
AND THE PRIORITY USED TO BE ON
ILLINOIS GOING CARBON FREE AND
NOW THE GOAL IS MOVING
COMPLETELY TO WIND AND SOLAR.
THIS LEGISLATION DOES HAVE A
TARGET OF MOVING ILLINOIS TO
100% RENEWABLE ENERGY BY 2050.
>> WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS?
IT'S BECAUSE ALL THE WIND AND
SOLAR AND INEFFICIENT POWER
COMPANIES OUT THERE THAT ARE
TRYING TO GET THEIR HAND IN THE
TAXPAYER POT DON'T WANT NUCLEAR.
THEY DON'T WANT NUCLEAR POWER
THAT IS WHY WE'VE CHANGED THE
NARRATIVE.
USED TO BE CLEAN.
NOW IT'S RENEWABLE.
>> THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE
CHANGES STATE SENATOR DON HARMON
WHO HAS BEEN IN THE GENERAL
ASSEMBLY FOR 18 YEARS, SPOKE TO
THOSE CHALLENGES BUT ALSO HINTED
AT HOPE FOR WORKING SOMETHING
OUT.
>> IN MY ENTIRE TIME IN THE
SENATE THIS MAY BE THE MOST
COMPLICATED BILL AND THE MOST
CHALLENGING NEGOTIATION OF WHICH
I'VE EVER BEEN PART.
I MET TODAY AS I HAVE SEVERAL
TIMES WITH THE GOVERNOR AND THE
SPEAKER.
AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT WE HAVE
VERY WILLING AND ABLE PARTNERS
IN BOTH TO GET THIS ACROSS THE
FINISH LINE.
IN PARTICULAR, BECAUSE OUR
EFFORTS TO LISTEN TO THE
GOVERNOR'S PRIORITIES, TO INSURE
THAT THERE IS A HARD CLOSE OF
CARBON EMITTING PLANTS.
AND THAT THERE ARE NO SPECIAL
DEALS.
WE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR THE
REQUIREMENTS HE WOULD HAVE TO
SIGN THE BILL.
>> SO WHAT IS NEXT?
PROCEDURALLY THE MEASURE HEADS
TO THE HOUSE AND MORE
NEGOTIATING BETWEEN UNIONS AND
ENVIRONMENTALISTS AND ALSO THE
GOVERNOR WHO HAD WHAT I WILL
DESCRIBE AS A TEPID RESPONSE TO
THE SENATE PLAN SAYING HE WANTS
A VARIOUS CHANGES TO IT.
AND REALLY THIS COAL PLANT PHASE
OUT IS GOING TO BE A KEY PART OF
THAT.
MEANWHILE YOU HAVE EXELON
ISSUING A STATEMENT SAYING IT IS
ESSENTIALLY DOING ALL IT CAN TO
KEEP THINGS RUNNING AT THE BYRON
PLANT IN CASE THERE IS A
LEGISLATIVE SOLUTION BUT THE
CORPORATION SAID QUOTE TO BE
CLEAR, BYRON WILL RUN OUT OF
FUEL AND WILL PERMANENTLY
SHUTDOWN ON SEPTEMBER 13TH
UNLESS A LAW IS ENACTED BEFORE
THEN.
WITH THAT PARIS, BACK TO YOU.
>> DOWN TO THE FINAL DAYS IN
WHAT FEELS LIKE AN END BUILDING