Will County Gazette

Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) recently participated in a panel discussion with the American Nuclear Society for the second time this year. 

“Thank  you to the American Nuclear Society for organizing and including me in  today’s panel! I would also like to thank my fellow panelists American  Nuclear Society CEO Craig Piercy, Ph.D. candidate Ejoeng (sic) Baik, and IBEW  Utility Dept. Director Donnie Colston for the amazing discussion,”  Rezin wrote on Facebook.

Rezin also participated in an American Nuclear Society webinar in April, Illinois Public Newsroom reported.

More than half of Illinois' electricity currently comes from nuclear power, the story said.

“There’s no realistic path to 100% carbon-free energy by 2050 without  the sound and reliable energy that’s produced at our nuclear power  stations,”  Rezin  said during the April webinar. 

Three of the six nuclear power plants in Illinois are in the 38th district, which Rezin represents, Illinois Public Newsroom reported. Illinois produces one-eighth of all nuclear power in the U.S., more than any other state, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Opponents of nuclear power say it generates waste that can remain radioactive for thousands of years; however, Rezin counters that nuclear power is a clean energy source and more reliable than wind and solar, Illinois Public Newsroom reported.

Since 1990, nuclear energy has supplied about one-fifth of the U.S. power supply, according to the U.S. Office of Nuclear Energy.