JB Pritzker says he supports small modular reactors, while sponsor of bill will work to override decision
Illinois’ Democratic governor JB Pritzker has vetoed legislation that would have removed a moratorium on construction of nuclear power plants in the US state.
“The bill is vetoed because the vague definitions in the bill, including the overly broad definition of advanced reactors, 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,” Pritzker's office said in a statement.
Senate Bill 76 would have allowed the resumption of construction of new reactors and had passed the state’s general assembly earlier this year.
Pritzker said he supports small modular reactors, but that he would want such construction and planning to take place in coordination with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
According to Capitol News Illinois, Republican state senator Sue Rezin, the primary sponsor of the legislation, announced she will file paperwork to attempt to override Pritzker’s veto.
Illinois has 11 reactors – more than any other state – at six nuclear power stations: Braidwood, Byron, Clinton, Dresden, LaSalle and Quad Cities.
Last year West Virginia’s governor signed into law legislation repealing that state’s nuclear construction ban, leaving only 12 out of 50 states with similar restrictions on the books.
The American Nuclear Society said that list, in addition to Illinois, consists of California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
