Metro East Sun

State Rep. Charlie Meier (R-Highland) is warning the state can’t take the economic hit from a potential closure of nuclear plants across the state.

“I'm here today to talk about how critical it is for Illinois to maintain low-cost energy and jobs for downstate Illinois,” Meier said. “The Illinois legislature has a history of broken promises, so how can we trust the proposed energy bills that will shut down Prairie State and CWLP in 2035 will ensure that we have continued low-cost energy?”

Even as Gov. J.B. Pritzker bagged enough support to pass his new $42 billion state budget, lawmakers left Springfield without an agreement on an energy policy that would include a multimillion-dollar bailout for nuclear power plants in the state.

Meier warned anything less than that could bring job losses for hundreds of union employees, with the downstate area being hit the hardest of all.

“These proposed energy bills that will prematurely shutter Prairie State will result in the loss of hundreds of jobs. About 11% of the entire population of my county that I represent will be jobless,” he said. “Besides the loss of hundreds of jobs at Prairie State, thousands more will be lost in the AG industry as a result of the trickle-down effect of farmable acres being converted to solar.”

Meier warns the looming energy crisis can’t be ignored.

“Illinois residents and businesses will suffer from routine brownouts and blackouts like California because Illinois is one of the lowest-cost energy states. Our state has generated $5 billion in revenue from new data centers relocating here,” he said. “Increased energy costs and an unreliable grid will jeopardize the revenue that has been generated over the last two years and drive away the many more California companies that are looking to locate here. We need jobs, we need affordable electricity.”