Exelon’s announcement June 2 that it would close the Quad Cities Generating Station in Cordova is a devastating blow to its employees, and to the economies of nearby communities and the northwest Illinois region, according to State Sen. Neil Anderson (Rock Island).

Anderson has been working closely with local and regional officials for months to emphasize the importance the Quad Cities Generating Station plays in local and regional economies.

“It’s a huge disappointment that despite all our best efforts, Exelon has made this decision. The Quad Cities Generating Station in Cordova plays a vital economic role in our corner of the state, so this is the worst news for the nearly 800 hard-working employees, the many businesses – large and small – that they support in their communities, as well as many local municipalities,” Anderson said. “These are good-paying jobs and the Cordova facility is the largest property-tax paying entity in Rock Island County. It is hard to really know how far-reaching the impact of this decision is going to be.”

In April, Anderson hosted representatives from the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce, and local government and education leaders at the Capitol for a meeting with Alec Messina, the Governor’s Policy Adviser for Environment and Energy. At the meeting, stakeholders were given the opportunity to discuss the impact that Exelon’s closure would have on the region.

The 36th District Senator also noted that Exelon’s decision would mean the loss of cost-effective clean energy for consumers. Anderson cosponsored legislation (Senate Bill 1585) to promote clean energy and support the regional economic contributions of the Quad Cities Generating Station. Senate Bill 1585 got a public hearing May 19 but the chief sponsor of the legislation didn’t call it for a vote in the Senate.

Anderson says he will continue to push in the upcoming extended session for a legislative solution.