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Support Renewable Energy Sources by Commenting on Proposed EPA Plan

Aug 25, 2014 ● By David Kraft and Tim Judson

Byron Generating Station, Byron, IL

New carbon standards from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) include subsidies for nuclear power plants by qualifying them for “clean energy” funding previously awarded only to renewables, and preferred use of nuclear in a state’s energy mix. Public comments on the EPA Clean Power Plan Proposed Rule are being accepted online at www2.EPA.gov/carbon-pollution-standards/how-comment-clean-power-plan-proposed-rule, with a cutoff date of October 16.

The rule will allow states like Illinois to take credit for existing nuclear power under their emissions goals, while retarding growth in renewables and efficiency. It will also permit continued operation of coal plants if nuclear plants are allowed to sell clean energy credits to coal utilities to meet state standards set by the EPA rules.

Illinois citizens require a forward-looking, 21st-century energy vision, not subsidization of a non-renewable business model represented by nuclear, coal and oil. Environmental groups contend that a viable alternative to the nuclear and fossil industry bailouts is for the legislature to go back and fix the RPS law and assertively implement renewable energy and energy efficiency.


Tim Judson is the director of Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS), based in Takoma Park, Maryland. (nirs.org). David Kraft is director of Nuclear Energy Information Service (NEIS), based in Chicago. (neis.org). For more information, visit the Nuclear Information and Resource Service (nirs.org) and the Nuclear Energy Information Service (neis.org).