18 May 2021
Share
Illinois will need to expand its nuclear capacity - not just maintain existing plants - in order to meet climate goals, a new study by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has concluded. Keeping the state s existing nuclear plants open at the same time as investing in advanced nuclear technology and renewable energy is the most economical path to zero-carbon that generates the lowest life-cycle carbon emissions, the study has found.
Exelon s Byron plant (Image: Exelon)
The report,
Economic and Carbon Impacts of Potential Illinois Nuclear Plant Closures: The Cost of Closures, was prepared by researchers and students at the university s department of nuclear, plasma and radiological engineering (NPRE) and led by Kathryn Huff - who has recently been appointed principal deputy assistant secretary for nuclear energy at the US Department of Energy - and Madicken Munk. The researchers modelled the state s electricity grid and conducted simula
Reaching Illinois climate goals centers on keeping existing nuclear energy plants open, advancing both renewables and next generation of nuclear technology
New report highlights need for investment in current and new nuclear technology alongside renewables to achieve decarbonized energy system in Illinois
News provided by
Share this article
Share this article
CHAMPAIGN, Ill., May 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ Illinois nuclear plants are critical to meeting climate and economic objectives in the state, including the ambitious goal some have proposed of a 100% carbon-free power sector by 2030. But according to new research out of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign s Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering (NPRE) department, to meet this aggressive climate target and others, Illinois won t just have to maintain its existing nuclear energy capacity – the state must also expand it.