Chambana Sun

Republican state Rep. Dan Caulkins says Exelon's announcement of the closure of two nuclear power plants is the latest example of how businesses all across Illinois are paying the price for Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s failed policies.

“The priorities of Pritzker and the majority party in this state are completely unacceptable,” Caulkins recently posted on Facebook. “They serve powerful special interests with no regard for the people who elected them. Rather than negotiating an energy deal, they adjourned and went on vacation. Rather than visit the state’s power generating plants, they memorize Greta Thunberg’s talking points.”

Caulkins says the end result is as maddening as it is heartbreaking.

"Now, hundreds of people will be out of work in these communities,” he said. “It is a travesty and it was totally preventable. The Democrat leadership turned their back on workers and families. Worst still, the Democrats don’t seem to understand that nuclear power is a zero-emission clean energy source. If they’re really trying to prevent a climate crisis, as they claim, they should be building new nuclear plants all over Illinois.”

Back in late July, Exelon announced the closure of two plants, neither of which Caulkins believes had to happen.

“This comes after Gov. Pritzker pushed a massive Green Energy bill that was laden with bailouts and unrealistic green energy mandates,” he said.

Caulkins added the Senate adjourned in June without voting on the bill, adding he suspects that was at least partly based on a difference of opinion between organized labor and the Green Lobby, two of the party’s core constituencies.