Illinois Commerce Commission plans nuclear energy policy session for Oct. 1
The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) plans to host the fourth installment of its Power Meter policy sessions next week, to cover the current and future role of nuclear energy for the state.
Illinois, which currently has the most nuclear power plants in the United States, relies on these facilities for 52.2 percent of its electricity and 88 percent of its carbon-free electricity. They are looking to nuclear power as a potential means for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, following their role in the U.S. Climate Alliance and the targets set under the 2015 Paris climate agreement. Though the United States, at large, has since pulled itself out of that commitment, certain areas like Illinois have held to it.
“Understanding the role of nuclear power is timely and necessary because Illinois has the largest number of nuclear power plants in the nation and there is a need for carbon-free energy to meet environmental policy goals,” ICC Commissioner Sadzi Martha Oliva said. “We look forward to our panel of experts providing key insights on the latest and future developments with nuclear energy, including the impact on decarbonization, current and future nuclear generation, safe disposal of nuclear fuel, and the global demand.”
Those panelists will include Maria Korsnick, president and CEO of the Nuclear Energy Institute; Suzanne Jaworski, senior advisor for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy; Dr. Mitchell Farmer, program manager of light water reactor programs for the Argonne National Laboratory; Marilyn Kray, vice president of nuclear strategy and development for Exelon; Steve Swilley, senior director of research and development and Deputy CNO for the Electric Power Research Institute; and Dr. Robert Rosner, founding co-director for the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute.
The policy session will last from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at ICC’s Chicago office. The ICC will also host a live audio feed of the event online.
