This week’s speaker, Alan Medsker, is a man on a mission. The mission is to raise awareness and build appreciation for nuclear energy in Illinois. Currently Illinois has 6 nuclear power plants with 11 reactors that produce over 50% of our energy. The second largest source of electricity in Illinois is coal (32%) followed by fossil gas (9%) and wind (7%). Nuclear energy is a reliable and consistent source of power, and perhaps most importantly, it s a clean souce of power, accounting for just 2% of CO2 emissions.
This compares to coal which accounts for 86% of CO2 emissions. In spite of this, according to Medsker, Illinois’s nuclear power plants are at risk because the deregulated energy market makes it hard to operate the plants profitably. Once closed, it is cost prohibitive to bring the plants back on-line. To see Alan’s presentation, click here.