Walker Bill To Repeal Nuclear Ban Heads To House Floor

Press release from Rep. Mark Walker's Office:

March 2, 2023

Legislation brought by state Rep. Mark Walker, D-Arlington Heights, to eliminate the ban on new nuclear power construction passed out of the House Public Utilities Committee yesterday and advances to the House floor.

“If we’re going to win in our fight against global climate change, we must ensure we can use every zero-carbon tool available to meet those goals,” Walker said. “My bill to remove the nuclear moratorium gets us one step closer to meeting our clean energy goals while also developing new and unique opportunities for manufacturers and data centers.”

Walker’s legislation, House Bill 1079, would repeal a decades-old moratorium banning the construction of new nuclear power plants in Illinois. The moratorium, originally passed in 1987, means that Illinois cannot explore utilizing a reliable, safe, zero-carbon source of power as the state looks to decarbonize its energy grid by 2050. Advancements in nuclear reactor designs like small modular reactors are also proving attractive to manufacturers, data centers, and other large-scale industrial operations.

“The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act made Illinois a leader in fighting global climate change,” Walker added. “If we’re truly going to lead, we need every tool available. Renewable energy like wind and solar are critical for our grid. So is a strong foundation of nuclear energy. I’m thankful to my colleagues from both sides of the aisle voting for my bill and I look forward to a vote on the House floor.”

This press release was produced by Rep. Mark Walker's Office. The views expressed here are the author's own.