CHICAGO (AP) — Competitors of Chicago-based Exelon Corp. have filed a lawsuit in Chicago opposing legislation that provides billions of dollars in subsidies to the power giant.
The legislation approved in December provides $235 million per year to Exelon to keep unprofitable nuclear plants running in Clinton and the Quad Cities. More than 4 million customers of power-distributing subsidiaries ComEd and Ameren will pay more to finance the plan.
The lawsuit filed Tuesday, February 14, 2017 in U.S. District Court challenges the law on constitutional grounds.
Crain's Chicago Business reports the competitors, including Houston-based Dynegy, allege the subsidies undermine wholesale power markets that are the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal government.
Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition is slamming the lawsuit, saying the filers want to shackle Illinoisans to higher costs and dangerous fuels of the past.