CHICAGO — During his recent State of the State and budget address, Gov. JB Pritzker announced a new direction for nuclear energy in Illinois, aimed at staving off predicted energy shortages as the state moves toward carbon-free power generation.

Pritzker signed an executive order the morning of the address, saying it “sets a new nuclear energy framework for Illinois — one that prioritizes affordability, safety and reliability.”

The goal, according to the governor, is to begin development on new nuclear power plants to deliver at least two gigawatts more energy capacity, enough to power up to two million Illinois homes. Construction for those sites would be expected to begin by 2033.

That energy would be needed to power homes and businesses as Illinois moves toward shuttering fossil fuel plants by 2045, as required under the state’s landmark energy legislation passed in 2021, the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act.

However, it may also be too late to prevent shortfalls that three state agencies late last year predicted would hit northern Illinois by 2029 and downstate by 2031.

The challenges are not unique to Illinois, with both of the federally regulated regional transmission organizations that serve the state facing capacity shortages amid plant closures and growing demand.

Moratorium lifted

New large-scale nuclear is only just becoming an option again Illinois after four decades. Pritzker’s signature on the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act, or CRGA, which goes into effect in June, lifted a state moratorium on new nuclear power that dated back to the 1980s.

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The state previously lifted a moratorium on construction of small modular reactors generating less than 300 megawatts in 2023. The same year, Pritzker vetoed a bill that would have lifted the broader moratorium on large-scale construction.

Even with the moratoriums in place, Illinois has maintained its position as the top producer of nuclear energy in the U.S., generating an eighth of the nation’s nuclear power across its six nuclear power plants. That nuclear power accounted for over half of the state’s net electric power generated in 2024, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

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By expediting the identification of new nuclear sites, Pritzker said he’s hopeful the order will help ensure Illinois can keep up with increasing demand and keep energy affordable while creating thousands of jobs and maintaining its position as a net energy exporter.

Identifying sites, regulatory review

The new order sets deadlines for identifying potential sites for nuclear plants as well as for reviewing existing nuclear regulations and issuing recommendations for any changes to those rules.

The Illinois Power Agency, a state agency responsible for creating annual electricity procurement plans, and the state’s utility regulator, the Illinois Commerce Commission, have 60 days from the day the order was signed to seek notice of interest from potential developers or current nuclear operators that want to expand their operations.

All of Illinois’ nuclear plants are owned by Constellation Energy, a company spun off by Exelon Corporation, the parent company of utility giant Commonwealth Edison. CEJA, the 2021 law, created hundreds of millions of dollars in subsidies for the state’s nuclear industry to prevent plant closures.

Developers will be asked to outline potential locations for new sites, expected cost and timeline to connect facilities to the grid, economic development impacts, workforce training needs and other factors for consideration.

The IPA is also tasked with assessing its own staffing and consultancy needs to support the initiative with appropriate expertise over the next one to three years.

The ICC is separately tasked with seeking notice from local communities around the state about interest in hosting a new nuclear site. Those communities will be asked to provide information such as land and water availability, economic development factors, stakeholder support and existing interconnection infrastructure that would make locations favorable for hosting a nuclear plant.

At the same time, both agencies are expected to form a working group with state departments for economic development and labor, environmental protection, natural resources and emergency management, plus the University of Illinois, to issue a report to the governor’s office.

That report, due 120 days from the order’s signing, is expected to review existing statutes and issue recommendations for safety, environmental and interconnection regulations needed for development of new sites.

Environmental priorities

The Illinois Environmental Council praised Pritzker’s success in addressing capacity and climate change in the power sector but said the state should be prioritizing other energy sources.

“The urgency of the climate crisis demands that we prioritize the deployment of true clean, renewable energy resources like solar, wind, and battery storage, which can be done reliably, quickly, and cost-effectively,” an IEC statement read. “In a rapidly warming world, and while the Trump administration is actively slashing safety regulations for nuclear reactors, solar, wind and battery storage are the solutions that require our focus.”

The order received applause from some lawmakers who are not always aligned with the governor’s policy positions.

“I don’t often agree with the Governor, but recognizing the benefits of advancements in nuclear energy production and expanding the dominance Illinois holds in nuclear energy generation is an area in which I’m happy we do agree,” Rep. Jeff Keicher, R-Sycamore, said in a statement.

“Amazing developments are happening in nuclear energy, and each year, more and more innovation is on the horizon. The only way we can possibly expect to have plenty of affordable, reliable baseload power without a carbon footprint is through nuclear power,” Keicher added.

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.