As the clock was running out on the fall veto session of the state legislature this week, a bill was passed providing subsidies for two Exelon nuclear power plants in Clinton and in the Quad Cites. The bill will keep the plants open for several more years.



Jak Tichener of the Paul Simon public policy institute at SIU. He says this bill has been in the works for quite a while and will rely on very modest rate hikes for Commonwealth Edison and Ameren customers.



Jak Tichener. The bill also has some tax incentives to promote wind and solar power, but despite efforts of southern Illinois legislators, the current bill provides no addition support for the struggling coal industry.