Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed into law in 2023 a measure that would lift a longstanding state moratorium on building new nuclear power plants.
The bill, which was supported by all four of Peoria’s elected officials, does not allow for the construction of the large, traditional power plants normally seen in the state, but rather allows for smaller-scale nuclear generating sites to be built.
Both Republicans and Democrats backed the new law, which was originally vetoed by the governor.
Energy companies lobbied for the bill and donated tens of thousands of dollars to House and Senate leadership and politicians on both sides of the aisle during the bill’s lifespan in Springfield, according to campaign finance reports and witness slips signed by proponents.
Proponents of nuclear power bill give Peoria politicians thousands of dollars
Peoria legislators Rep. Ryan Spain, R-Peoria, and Sen. Dave Koehler, D-Peoria, were the beneficiaries of campaign donations from companies with an interest in seeing the bill become law.
Vistra Corp, MidAmerican Energy and Constellation Energy all lobbied for the bill to be passed and donated money to Spain and Koehler in 2023.
Koehler received a $3,500 donation from Constellation Energy on Oct. 11. MidAmerican Energy gave Koehler $1,250 on Sept. 7. Koehler received $2,500 from Vistra Corp on Aug. 15. Koehler received another $2,500 from Constellation Energy on Jan. 3 of 2024.
Vistra Corp gave Spain $1,750 on Aug. 8. Spain received $3,000 from Constellation Energy on Nov. 8.
Vistra also gave the House Republican Organization, which is chaired by Spain, two $5,000 donations on Aug. 15.
Both Spain and Koehler said campaign donations did not sway their opinions of the bill.
“I never make decisions based on who financially supports my campaign and that’s just it, period,” Koehler said. “If people support me because they know what I believe and what I’m trying to do, that’s fine, but I never make decisions based on any campaign contributions.”
Spain said he did not receive any feedback from any energy companies that had an interest for or against the bill.
“I think it’s been so long since we’ve engaged in nuclear power in the state of Illinois, it’s not that there’s imminent plan for an existing utility to job into these businesses yet, but just opening the door since it had been closed for so long in the state of Illinois,” Spain said.
Kent Redfield, a professor emeritus and an expert on lobbying and political influence from the University of Illinois-Springfield, said these types of political donations from interest groups are common in Illinois, especially when an interest group has stake in specific legislation.
“Money is interested in our elections but it is also interested in promoting access, phone calls returned, meetings set up, an opportunity to persuade,” Redfield said. “It’s easy to see something like this in a Vistra. They have a substantial amount of money and they’ve been contributing over a long period of time.”
Redfield did say too that the existence of such donations does not mean there is any kind of quid pro quo arrangement between lawmakers and interest groups. Rather, the donations can be a way for interest groups to get a seat at the table and show lawmakers they are legit.
Koehler said he supported the bill because he believes it will have a positive impact on the environment and help move the state toward decarbonization.
“With the onset of small modular reactors, I think there is a new strategy developing within the nuclear power industry and that is for smaller units that can be linked together, ramped up, ramped down, depending on what the call for electricity is on a particular day,” Koehler said.
Spain said he backed the bill because the state needs to generate more of its own power and import less from other states. The new law will allow for the smaller nuclear power reactors to come online beginning in 2026.
House and Senate leadership receive large sums of money from bill’s backers
House Speaker Chris Welch, D-Cicero, and Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, also received tens of thousands of dollars from nuclear interested energy companies in 2023.
Illinois already has a significant nuclear footprint as it generates more electricity from nuclear power from its six nuclear power plants than any other state in the U.S., according to the U.S. Energy Information Service.
Campaign finance reports also show the companies made significant donations to the Democratic Party of Illinois, Democrats for the House of Illinois and the Illinois Senate Democrat Fund, a body chaired by Harmon designed to reelect Democrats in Illinois.
MidAmerican Energy gave Harmon $6,250 on Aug. 23. Harmon also received $6,250 from Vistra on Sept. 15. On Jan. 12, 2024, Harmon’s ISDF received $15,000…
Read More: How campaign donations played a role in new Illinois nuclear power law