Clean energy dominance

Our local elected leaders have spent the past two years working closely with ComEd and state and federal officials to develop a strategy for funding critical energy infrastructure. The key questions before us are:

• What key locations require the least investment to accommodate businesses with enormous energy needs?
• How do we work with our state and federal governments to create a regulatory environment that supports these opportunities by generating more energy and embracing new energy-generating technology?
• Most importantly, how do we ensure that these transformative investments are captured in our region?

Illinois’ reputation as a clean energy leader can be traced back to the Dresden Nuclear Power Station, the nation’s first privately-financed nuclear power plant, built in 1960 in Morris, about 100 miles south of Rockford. With the addition of Byron’s twin reactors in the 1970s, our state boasted the largest fleet of civilian nuclear reactors in the nation—13 reactors across seven sites. Nuclear power is the source of more than half of Illinois’ energy, and lawmakers in 2023 eliminated the state’s ban on construction of new nuclear reactors. Today, Illinois is the top nuclear energy producer in the U.S. with 11 reactors across six sites.

Plentiful, inexpensive, zero-carbon energy has been Illinois’ competitive economic development advantage over other states for the last 50 years. Clean energy allows Illinois to attract private investment, especially to communities that have suffered an exodus of industry and traditional manufacturing jobs. Clean energy is competitively priced, and extensive infrastructure to support it is already in place, making Illinois attractive for business relocation and expansion.

Illinois and the Rockford Region are at a turning point in defining our position in the global economy. The private sector is seeking prime mega-site locations for future industrial operations, and there are plenty of options to choose from across the country. Regional mega-sites are built to accommodate AI data centers, transportation ports, energy conversion facilities, and advanced manufacturing centers. These are generational economic development opportunities, representing multi-billion-dollar investments, generating revenue for our schools, parks, and local governments.

Historic levels of energy are required to fuel this economic shift. The scope and scale of infrastructure to support such massive energy loads is difficult to even conceptualize, and it must be in place five-to-seven years ahead of the industrial development that requires it. Development opportunities are already knocking on our door, and we don’t have much time to make all of the necessary infrastructure investments our region needs, especially regarding electricity supply and transmission.

What does this mean for the Rockford region? Power generation is a significant pain point, shared by local government, private companies, and energy providers. Maintaining its economic momentum will require Illinois to reclaim the nuclear energy leadership it held more than 60 years ago. Local governments must work on a parallel track with private developers to attract more clean energy assets, and state and federal governments must put supportive policies in place.

All infrastructure is critical for future development—roads, water, sewer, energy, broadband. It’s time to put a strategic focus on energy infrastructure, so our region and Illinois maintain a competitive edge for industrial development. This is the priority of Region 1 Planning Council’s board of directors, and it underpins our agency’s long-term planning for the region. A renewed focus on energy infrastructure will allow our region to win economic opportunities that that will pay dividends for future generations.

The views expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the Greater Rockford Chamber of Commerce.