CLINTON, Ill. (WAND) — Hundreds of community members and labor leaders joined elected officials and employees from Constellation and Meta to celebrate the 20-year agreement that will secure the future of the Clinton Clean Energy Center, which provides power to over 800,000 homes.
The deal is meant to support Meta's clean energy goals and will expand Clinton’s clean energy output by 30 megawatts through plant uprates, preserve 1,100 high-paying local jobs, deliver $13.5 million in annual tax revenue and add $1 million in charitable giving to local nonprofits over five years, according to Constellation.
The Clinton Power Station was slated for closure on June 1, 2017, until a bipartisan legislative effort created the Future Energy Jobs Act to ensure the Clinton Power Station would stay open for at least another ten years. However, with 2027 approaching rapidly, Constellation needed a more permanent solution.
"They supported the legislation, and it gave us a short-term pipeline for the plant. But we were disappointed. We felt like we let people down," said Katheleen Barrón, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy and Growth Officer of Constellation. "We wanted a long-term permanent solution. And with Meta coming to the table and saying they want to take 20 years of energy from this plant, that is what we're celebrating here today. That's what's going to make the difference."
Beginning in June 2027, the agreement supports the relicensing and continued operations of Clinton's nuclear facility for another two decades after the state’s ratepayer-funded zero-emission credit (ZEC) program expires.
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