Nuclear power plants at Bryon as seen for Interstate 39.
Congressman Randy Hultgren did not send out a press release on his signing a letter that will help Com Ed get permission to raise electric rates.
I had to find this on Crain’s Chicago Business.
Reporter Greg Hinz characterizes the letter, signed by thirteen of eighteen Illinois Members of Congress as “a most unusual letter.”
It lends support to a bill to give Commonwealth Edison more revenue for operating its nuclear power plants, supposedly because they produce clean energy.
The bill is House Bill 3293.
By providing subsidies to “clean energy” sources, Com Ed has corralled those supporting wind and solar energy as supporters, but the bulk of the $300 million would go to electric company.
It is also being sold as a “jobs” bill and a way to assure that enough energy will be available in the Midwest.
Com Ed is arguing that it can’t afford to keep the plants open without the extra money.
The second sponsor on the bill is State Rep. Mike Tryon.
The letter signed by local Congressman Hultgren, but not by the other local Congressman Peter Roskam is below:
= = = = =
Compare you electric bill with one before the Illinois General Assembly passed the so-called “Smart Grid” bill.
That electric rate hike wasn’t enough.
Now Com Ed and its supporters want us to pay more.
Here are Smart Grid supporters contributions to Illinois legislators.
The Smart Grid’s rate hike was estimated to cost $36 more per year. This new will will “only”cost another $24 a year.
Jack Franks communicated his switch to vote in favor of the electric rate hike bill to television reporter
Here’s who voted for the Smart Grid Com Ed rate hike bill.
Here’s why Samuel Insall created the Illinois Commerce Commission, which the Smart Grid rate hike bill now handcuffs.
I take no position on the bill in question.
I merely want to point out that this underscores why last week’s FCC decision to neuter the internet is such a travesty.
This will turn the internet into ComEd, an entity left to recover its investment through rent-seeking rather than innovation.
Thank you Cal for keeping us informed.
How about require ComEd to be a utility company instead of just another Enron type investment instrument.
ComEd is not behaving as a responsible utility company who has been given permission from us citizen of Illinois a monopoly on delivering electrical power to us consumers and businesses.
And regarding Smart Grid and Clean Energy – Instead of setting aside revenues for improvement ComEd just shell out profit to the bondholders and leave us holding the preverbal bag of s…t.
So why does ConEd not shut down these old and inefficient nuclear power plants and have these representatives advocate instead for new and modern energy companies to supply wind, geothermal, solar and even LPG gas power onto our electrical grid.
I am quite sure the ancient infrastructure of sagging electrical wire on creosote laden wooden poles and old burned PCB containing transformers that this company has since many years ago written off and soon also has to be funded with new revenues from us rate payers.
I can see in the enclosed letter that both political parties are represented and holding hands instead of looking out for us citizens and voters.
I am very disappointed in these representatives who are willing to carry water for this private commercial entity.
Shame on you!
There is also the serious question about metal degradation of in the plants due to neutron and gamma radiation and years of operations, as well as the longterm storage of the radioactive waste after the caesium-137 been reduced sufficiently in the cooling tanks.
The fact you call the nuclear plants old and inefficient shows what you know about the industry.
They are closing them because the cost of natural gas has dropped and therefore they re not profitable- you don’t get to unring this bell.
When Gas is no longer cheap there will be no alternative.
Nuclear remains the cleanest, safest and most efficient form of energy production according the engineers I know who work in the power system field.
No one makes money of the grid- which why no business is going to take on the costs of maintaining it.
inish.
Well I am glad to hear that you are well versed in this matter.
The issue at hand is how ComEd instead of being a utility company now is a basic investment operation.
I can hear that you are out defending this organization who has only bled us consumers while only making bare minimal efforts to to uphold the system.
In my humble opinion ComEd should loose its monopoly status and be replaced by some other new citizen receptive organization.
So you think these light water reactors is suck a great and permanent solution.
So they do not make any money on the grid – well I have a problem to see why they should make money on these fixed assets needed to deliver the product – electrical energy.
Also, I have been involved with the radioactive waste concentration and vitrification at the Savannah River and Hanford operations so do not tell me how wonderful, safe and clean radioactivity is compared to other forms of energy generation.