Illinois leaders promote NY energy program as model

A group of Illinois mayors and community leaders encouraged state lawmakers in a letter Tuesday to follow the lead of the state of New York, which has adopted a new energy program that will help preserve several of that state's struggling nuclear plants. The letter to Gov. Bruce Rauner and legislative leaders was sent on the same day as Exelon Generation announced an agreement to assume ownership and management of Entergy Corp.'s James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant in Scriba, New York. The $110 million deal comes as the New York Public Service Commission approved a Clean Energy Standard last week that includes provisions to value nuclear energy for its low carbon attributes."New York’s Clean Energy Standard is a road map for effective policy in Illinois," said Tim Followell, city administrator of Clinton, Ill., which is home to one of the two nuclear plants that Exelon has said will be closed prematurely. Exelon announced plans in June to close the Clinton plant and the Quad-Cities Generating Station in Cordova.