Governor Pritzker’s veto needed – YOU can make it happen!
As we previously informed you, on Thursday May 18, the Illinois House passed SB76 – the repeal of the 1987 Illinois nuclear power construction Moratorium. While this was pitched as a “moratorium repeal,” the REAL intention of the legislation is to open the flood gates for building the “next generation” of nuclear plants in Illinois – the proposed, so-called “small modular nuclear reactors” (SMNRs).
Let’s be frank about what this vote represents: it is a statewide referendum on the energy future of Illinois. It will either be Nuclear Illinois, or Renewables Illinois. For environmentalists everywhere, the middle ground is no longer an option. As legendary Texas progressive activist Jim Hightower quipped: “The only things in the middle of the road are yellow stripes, and dead armadillos.” Time to choose, people.
That said, there is still one last possibility to stop it from becoming law: a veto from Governor Pritzker. To date he has not acted on the bill; if he takes no action, in 60 days it automatically becomes law. We continue to publicly speak out against this nuclear power coup (see attached Crain’s op-ed). We ask that you take action NOW – and keep it up until the Governor finally acts – and hopefully vetoes the bill.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
- Write Governor Pritzker, asking him in no uncertain terms to VETO SB76 or any future legislation that would repeal the moratorium or promote new nuclear plants in Illinois.
- Here are the street addresses if you prefer to send a hardcopy letter:
Office of the Governor Office of the Governor 401 S. Spring St. 555 W. Monroe St., 16th Floor Springfield, IL 62704 Chicago, IL 60661 Phone: 217-782-6830 or 217-782-6831 Phone: 312-814-2121 or 312-814-2122
- Download this petition, get it filled out, and return to NEIS ASAP, either by mail, or scanned e-mail. We need the results for a future press event we will schedule.
- Let us know if you could spend a few hours gathering petition signatures. We will be gathering them all summer at Farmer’s Markets and in other public spaces, for use in September.
Your message should be simple, yet firm: In your own words, tell him you do NOT want nuclear power in Illinois’ energy future. You want an energy future based on renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy storage, and improved transmission as was envisioned in the 2021 CEJA legislation. Even if you’ve done it once before, do it again.
This is our last chance to keep Illinois’ energy future nuclear-free. In two years Constellation Generation will be coming back for more bailouts of its 11 existing reactors. In ten years the nuclear industry will want to build scores of SMNRs in Illinois. Is this the energy future you want, and have fought for? Please get those letters and petitions in, and get others – family, friends, co-workers – to do so too.
Thanks in advance. Be well, do great things.