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The International Treaty banning Nuclear Weapons will enter into force
this Friday January 22, 2021!
2 Events this week.
THURSDAY EVENING (Zoom)
January 21st
Chicago Area Peace Action, their Loyola chapter and the Chicago Committee Against War and Racisim will be hosting a panel discussion on the topic via zoom. at 6pm CZT.
Zoom registration link for webinar: zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYsf--orj4rHdHqEkAWEtsBNso7JD6_np7m
Panelists include:
· LauraGrego, PhD, Senior Scientist, Global Security Program, Union of Concerned Scientists
· TaraDrozdenko, PhD, Acting Executive Director, Outrider Foundation
· Doug Shaw, PhD, Consultant, Nuclear Disarmament and Pentagon Spending, Friends Committee on National Legislation
· Panel moderator: Rachel Bronson, PhD, President and CEO, Bulletin of Atomic Scientists
FRIDAY AFTERNOON (Chicago)
January 22nd
Nukes Banned! Car Caravan for Peace, Friday, January 22, 12 noon- 1:00 p.m., car caravan for peace circles Federal Plaza in Chicago (Clark and Dearborn Streets, downtown Chicago).
· Volunteer drivers are needed for the car caravan. 100% COVID-safe, since no one will have to leave their cars. Rendezvous to get signage at 11 a.m. To be part of the car caravan go to this link for location to get sign and line up for caravan.
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdrewWMu1BHzYQgYOJQk9tLlpsTBszhq2uZmEClw-wAIY5bFw/viewform
To learn more about the treaty as events happening globally:
International Coalition Against Nuclear Weapons, the winners of the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize
www.icanw.org/the_treaty
and this article by the Union of Concerned Scientists
allthingsnuclear.org/jknox/an-historic-nuclear-ban-treaty-is-set-to-become-international-law-here...
www.icanw.org/the_treaty
NUCLEAR ENERGY INFORMATION SERVICE
ILLINOIS ENERGY TRANSFORMATION #19
THE COM-ED/EXELON SCANDAL: END NUCLEAR PAY-FOR-PLAY
Aug. 4, 2020
The recent Illinois lobbying corruption scandal involving Exelon Corporation, its subsidiary Commonwealth Edison and Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan demonstrate the extent to which nuclear “power” is about more than electrons. While the FBI arrests of the Ohio House Speaker and 5 others in a $60 million bribery/corruption scheme, the $10 billion Exelon nuclear bailout in New York, the questionable circumstances surrounding Exelon’s 2016 PepCo merger, and the South Carolina $9 billion SCANA fraud case suggest that this may be a national pandemic (summarized nicely in the New York Times piece , “When Utility Money Talks,” 8/2/20 see link below), the situation in Illinois with Exelon and its subsidiary ComEd has been long standing and particularly egregious.
For decades Exelon’s stranglehold on Illinois energy legislation in cooperation with the currently investigated Speaker Michael Madigan has not only given Illinois more reactors (14) and high-level radioactive waste (>11,000 tons) than any other state. It has severely stifled expansion of renewable energy and energy efficiency, and hampered the Illinois’ energy transformation needed to deal with the worsening climate crisis.
For decades the Illinois environmental community has seen renewables expansion thwarted by the recognition that no significant renewable energy buildout could occur without concessions to either Exelon or ComEd, and Speaker Madigan’s approval. The most recent instance was the 2016 $2.35 billion bailout of three uncompetitive Exelon reactors.
This “nuclear blackmail” politics has forced enviros wanting to pass new legislation to expand renewables into a reluctant and grudging alliance with Exelon – at Exelon’s price of capacity market “reform” that would reward both renewables and ten of Exelon’s operating reactors. If passed in its presently proposed form, this provides yet another nuclear bailout under the disguise of “market-based reform.”
To ratchet up the pressure to enact this nuclear prop-up even more, Exelon CEO Chris Crane in Exelon’s 2Q quarterly earnings call with analysts once again dangles the prospect of closing up to 6 reactors if this market-based-bailout is not granted in 2021.
Under the current ongoing FBI corruption investigation, this reluctant alliance of necessity has turned disastrous, given the political toxicity of any current association with either ComEd or Exelon.
It is just and reasonable that ComEd (and the so-called "bad apples" who “retired” already) should be penalized and prosecuted for their misdeeds, even if they are reportedly "cooperative." However, a $200 million “settlement” penalty for a $34 billion corporation that for decades has gouged billions from Illinois ratepayers through admittedly corrupt illegal practices is a slap on the wrist.
Further, the $200 million penalty agreement provides no restitution for the decades-long societal damage done via nuclear pay-for-play. Illinois rate payers deserve restitution from these and any predatory, corrupt companies that would engage in such activities. This may require explicit legislation. How can one logically or ethically assert that ill-gotten gains (e.g., the 2016 $2.35 billion nuclear bailout) are still "good for the public" when bribery and corruption were used to get them?
Last Fall, a spokesperson for Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker stated, “The governor’s priority is to work with principled stakeholders on clean energy legislation that is above reproach.” Gov. Pritzker – your moment of truth has arrived.
We urge the Governor and the legislature to begin the restitution process by repealing the $2.3 billion 2016 nuclear bailout. Further, and as others like Crain’s Joe Cahill have suggested (see link below), Christopher Crane must step down completely from all functions at Exelon.
The legislature should also enact explicit utility ethics legislation with transparent oversight of utility contracting and philanthropic giving activities to insure that this kind of corrupt behavior is not repeated. And if Chris Crane’s threat of imminent reactor closure is true, then community just-transitions legislation to protect those negatively impacted communities should be a priority of the legislature. As NEIS has maintained and advocated since 2014 – it’s the reactor communities (and equally adversely affected coal mining and power plant communities) that need state support and bailouts when plants are threatened with closure, not profitable private corporations like Exelon.
Finally, we support the FBI’s continued investigation into the activities of Speaker Madigan, associates, and other legislators if necessary to ferret out the remaining political corruption that has abetted this corporate larceny. This is the only way to send a significant and lasting message that nuclear pay-for-play in Illinois is over.
Illustration by George Eckhart
[NOTE: If you are interested in using the above cartoon, please contact NEIS for conditions of use. Thanks in advance.]
Links
New York Times piece , “When Utility Money Talks,” 8/2/20
www.nytimes.com/2020/08/02/opinion/utility-corruption-energy.html?utm_source=Energy+News+Network+...
Crain’s Joe Cahill have suggested, Christopher Crane must step down.
www.chicagobusiness.com/joe-cahill-business/exelon-ceo-needs-be-held-accountable-comed-scandal
Nukes In Space-No Thanks!
Written by Karl Grossman our most recent guest on Night With The Experts!
NEIS’ Director David Kraft gives an update on Nuclear Power Plants and the Pandemic on The Nuclear Hotseat