Nuclear Illinois Helped Shape Obama View on Energy in Dealings With Exelon

[Bluebear]

If Illinois were a country, it would have the world’s 12th-largest number of nuclear power reactors, behind China and ahead of Sweden. No other U.S. state generates more energy through fission.

Exelon Corp. (EXC), which operates all 11 of the state’s reactors, is no stranger to President Barack Obama. The Chicago- based company has served as a source of campaign contributions and also created environmental and political challenges to navigate.

Even as his administration reviews all U.S. reactors following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that triggered radiation leaks from a crippled Japanese plant, Obama last week called nuclear power an “important part” of his energy agenda. That mirrors the balancing act he displayed in his adopted home state, which generates more than a tenth of U.S. nuclear power.

“It’s a large part of our power generation,” said Senator Mark Kirk, a Republican who won Obama’s old seat in November. “And we have more waste than any other state.” ...Obama’s 2012 budget calls for an additional $36 billion in U.S. loan guarantees for new nuclear power plants.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-23/nuclear-illinois-helped-shape-obama-view-on-energy-in-dealings-with-exelon.html

[enough]

1. k&r (nt)

[Bluebear]

2. .

[mopinko]

3. you know they were all built long before he was even

state senator obama, right. hell, most of them were built before he even moved here.
and at the time they were built they brought so many jobs to the state that pretty much any politician that voted against any thing the power companies wanted would have found himself feeding the pigeons in the park in a big, big hurry. i was working construction back then, and everybody had a story about how much money they made at braidwood and byron.

[Eric J in MN]

4. Are federal politicians from other states trying to end nuclear power?

Apparently, being from Illinois makes one pro-nuclear.

Yet I can't name any Senators or Congresspersons who have said the US should close all its nuclear power plants.

Or even that the US should maintain the existing ones but never build a new one.

If anyone else can name a federal politician saying that, then inform me.

[Bluebear]

5. You write Bloomberg with your questions, have them inform you, then let us know!

Thanks!

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

6. K&R!