Illinois is national leader in nuclear power. Should we grow this ‘carbon free’ technology?
Clinton nuclear power plant in DeWitt County. Reginald Hardwick/IPM News
Low-carbon energy sources provide us the energy we need without emitting very much carbon into the atmosphere, especially when compared with burning fossil fuels. On today's show, we are diving into nuclear energy, one kind of low-carbon energy source. Facts about this technology in Illinois:
- Illinois’ nuclear reactors produced around 100 million megawatthours of energy, around 53% of the state’s electricity net generation and the most nuclear power generated by any state.
- Illinois produces around ⅛ of all nuclear energy produced in the United States.
- Around ⅕ of all electricity generated in Illinois is sent to other states, the 3rd most of any state.
Co-hosts Maddie Stover and Trent Ford, the Illinois State Climatologist, spoke with Katy Huff, Associate Professor in the Department of Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She also served as Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy in the US Department of Energy from 2022 to 2024 under President Biden's administration.
Funding for Weather Realness is partially provided by the Backlund Charitable Trust. If you have a question for a local scientist on this program, please leave a voicemail at 217.333.2141 or email weatherrealness@illinois.edu.
