The Cordova nuclear plant and its 800 jobs are safe for now. Exelon says an offer to supply electricity by the Quad Cities Generating Station has been accepted by the power grid serving the midwest and eastern US, so the plant will stay open at least through early in 20-18.
Spokesman Bill Stoermer says previously the grid was only going to buy electricity from the plant for the next two years.
And more than these jobs are at risk - Illinois and every other state must submit plans to the US EPA by 2018 on how they'll meet new air emission goals that take effect in 2022. And Stoermer says Illinois cannot meet the goals without Cordova and Exelon's other nuclear plants.
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Besides its hundreds of jobs, he says the plant contributes 1.4 billion dollars to the regional economy each year. And it's the largest payer of property taxes in Rock Island County - at 8 million dollars per year.