The Democratic governor of Illinois has defended his veto of bipartisan legislation aimed at ending the state's moratorium on nuclear plant construction, saying vague definitions in the bill will open the door to the proliferation of large-scale nuclear reactors that are “so costly to build that they will cause exorbitant ratepayer-funded bailouts”.

JB Pritzker’s office also said the legislation, which had strong support in the Illinois general assembly, “provides no regulatory protections or updates to address the health and safety of Illinois residents who would live and work around these new reactors”.

In separate comments Pritzker expressed his support for small modular reactors and indicated his willingness to sign an amended version of the bill.