BYRON — Ogle County is among nine Illinois locations that have expressed interest in hosting a new nuclear power facility after Gov. JB Pritzker directed state agencies to identify communities willing to consider new nuclear development following the end of the state’s moratorium on new nuclear plants. State officials said the interested regions include the six that already host nuclear plants, two former coal communities, and a university research program, though some environmental and consumer groups question whether new nuclear projects can be built quickly or affordably enough to address Illinois’ future energy needs. Ogle County’s proposal calls for a new facility on privately owned land next to the Byron Clean Energy Center, citing existing transmission infrastructure, a skilled workforce, long standing community support, and industrial zoning approved by the County Board in 2024 to support future energy development. In a letter dated in May of this year to the Illinois Commerce Commission, Ogle County Board Chair Bruce Larson said the site could accommodate a small modular reactor or another advanced nuclear project, with construction potentially beginning in the mid 2030s after federal licensing and permits are secured.
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