By: Diane Benjamin
Illinois passed a law 4 years ago to make the entire State Carbon Free. Carbon is actually carbon dioxide which means the environmentalists who talked the state into this bill don’t want people living here either. We all exhale it.
Suddenly the future requires massive amounts of power wind and solar can’t generate. The same company that increased electricity rates for Bloomington-Normal own the nuclear plant in Clinton. Anybody believe they didn’t know about the META deal when they decided to charge you more?
META wants to buy 1.1 gigawatts over 20 years. How much is that? 1 gigawatt is the equivalent of:
1.887 Million solar panels
294 huge Wind turbines
The power consumed by 100 Million LED Bulbs
Source: https://www.energy.gov/eere/articles/how-much-power-1-gigawatt
How much electricity does AI need? According to this story, more than some small countries use in a year: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-ai-boom-could-use-a-shocking-amount-of-electricity/
That story also explains why AI needs so much.
Now see this link: https://ipmnewsroom.org/clock-ticks-on-lifting-illinois-nuclear-moratorium-as-environmental-groups-want-a-say/
Clinton produces per year about 1100 megawatts of electricity — enough to power 800,000 homes.
Additional info from Constellation Energy – link in that story:
Recognizable by its sky-blue reactor building, Clinton Clean Energy Center’s single nuclear reactor can produce up to 1,092 megawatts (MW) of clean, carbon-free energy, enough electricity to power the equivalent of 800,000 homes. The site’s 5,000-acre cooling lake is open to the public for a large range of outdoor activities.
Did you notice the “carbon-free” part? Illinois has wanted to close nuclear plants for years even though they meet the 2050 carbon free dream.
At the risk of frying brains with numbers overload, 1.1 gigawatts divided by 20 years is 55 megawatts per year. I used AI:
.
Clinton produces 1092 megawatts per year, so META wants to buy 5% of the power produced. The Clinton plant not only produces a lot of electricity, it also has a beautiful lake that provides recreation. Wind and solar farms only produce eyesores.
Microsoft is resurrecting 3 Mile Island for AI. Did anyone ask where META’s data center will be that uses this electricity? Are they building it nearby?
AI will require much more electricity in the future. Illinois should have lifted the ban on nuclear a long time ago, it’s been in place for 40 years.
The rate you pay will only increase if capacity doesn’t provide adequate supply. Wind and solar don’t provide the massive amount needed.
Almost 72% of France’s power is generated by nuclear. Germany shuttered their last nuclear plant in April of 2023: https://us.boell.org/en/2023/04/21/understanding-german-nuclear-exit They had to buy natural gas to keep from freezing last winter.
Remember the Spain and Portugal recent blackout? It was caused by “green” energy fail. A backup method is required since wind and solar aren’t 100% reliable. Spain didn’t have one and the grid collapsed.
Illinois could have been building more nuclear plants instead of littering the landscape with turbines and solar panels.
June 3 the County Zoning Board of Appeals discussed 2 new solar farms: 🤦♀️ https://mcleancountyil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/10918
Of course both were approved: https://www.wjbc.com/2025/06/04/two-new-solar-facilities-could-come-to-mclean-county/
The Meta deal is a paperwork shell game only for GREEN energy credits. The actual megawatts from Clinton will still be consumed by the same local customers and Meta certainly has no interest in expanding to Illinois.
More turbines going up in north Woodford county around the I-39 exit for Il 116. I can’t tell you how excited I am to see more of these eyesores going up here. I don’t think they will be satisfied until every square inch of a three or four county area is covered in the stupid things.
I’m still curious how many birds, and especially eagles, they kill every year. There is a company operating wind farms in CO that was fined millions a few years back for killing large numbers of golden eagles with their turbines. How is it actually “GREEN” if the result is more wildlife dying for their pet causes?
I’m sure that this has nothing at all to do with lining the pockets of Pritzker and his cronies.
This whole green bull is dependent on government subsidies. I was offered, $2500. an acre for 40 acres to be for solar power. Don’t know if in the end it would be that but I hear it’s a lot. Backed away because I’m too old to benefit much, my heirs don’t know squat about making them live up to the agreement, and also because the money was backed by a Japanese bank and there’s no guarantee they won’t go bankrupt if the government assistance ends…..which I hope it does. Not to mention it destroys the land after 25 years of panel cleaning chemicals leach into the soil.
Good analysis Diane! Important info.
Wind and solar is about as effective as running high speed rail on one set of tracks!
Thank you Diane for bringing all this bull 🐂 💩 to light!! Horrible what they are doing!
Interesting Diane!
It spurred me to ask Grok some question based on your research.
Meta AI would consume all the power output of the Clinton Power plant or 32% of all of Illinois’ wind turbine output (considering inefficiencies) and would require battery storage systems.
“Currently, there are approximately 9 major AI systems in the U.S. comparable to Meta’s. This could grow to 15–30 systems by 2030.
To power 15–30 major AI systems in the U.S. by 2030 America would need either –
** 15–54 nuclear plants (1,121 MW each), costing $100–720 billion. Nuclear has a moderate dependence on China or its allies (10–30%) we only produce 0.4% of the uranium needed now.
** 22–120 gas plants (750 MW each), costing $16.8–120 billion. Low dependence on China or its allies (0–5%)
**13,400–47,800 wind turbines (50/50 mix of 1.65 MW and 4 MW, 40% capacity factor), costing $25–120 billion, needing ~150 square miles. High dependence on China or its allies (30–60%)
**121–432 large solar farms (500 MW each), costing $16.8–60 billion, needing ~230–330 square miles. Critical dependence on China or its allies (>60%)
**10–20 GW of battery storage ($3–8 trillion) to stabilize renewables. Critical dependence on China or its allies (>60%)”
All options except Gas are dependent on China or its ally countries like Russia.
Getting this right is a matter of national security.
What are the chances our politicians muck this up too? 100%
Ya all remember when Pritzger rmoved a toilet from his house so he could pay less taxes? Now he taxes the crap out of everyone else. Can’t get enough. Always wants more of our money. The Pritzger family owns Marriot hotels. Time to boycott Mariott Hotels. Spread the word.
I thought they owned Hyatt, better check
Mormons own the Marriott or least they used to.
Good eye! Pritzgers own Hyatt Hotels. Boycott Hyatt Hotels.
Let old jelly belly feel some of the economic pain he inflicts on us taxpayers. Spread the word!
Nuclear power plants help lower property taxes for school districts surrounding the plant. I’d need to dig up the numbers, but I believe the Dresden plant up north provides a significant amount of the annual budgets for some schools. It could be 2/3.
Up in Byron, their nuclear plants pays nearly $34 million per year in property taxes, including $18.5 million per year to Byron school district:
https://www.shawlocal.com/ogle-county-news/2023/06/27/byron-nuclear-station-12-taxing-bodies-reach-settlement-on-eav/
If Clinton could handle another reactor, perhaps Meta can help fund it.
The damage we’ve incurred by focusing on renewables is incalculable. Decades of time and trillions of dollars devoted to the failures of wind, solar, EV’s, anti carbon, anti nuclear. Lost time and money that could have been spent perfecting reliable sources of energy. We have been set back immeasurably. We are the luddites and the fools that chased a fool’s dream in the name of vanity and the chickens are coming home to roost.