<a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;chicago.suntimes.com&#x2F;politics&#x2F;7&#x2F;71&#x2F;548759&#x2F;editorial-exelons-rate-hike-proposal-bad-bill" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;chicago.suntimes.com&#x2F;politics&#x2F;7&#x2F;71&#x2F;548759&#x2F;editorial-e...</a><p>&quot;Exelon, which operates six nuclear power plants in Illinois, says it needs help because — although it made more than $2 billion last year —  it has lost about $1 billion in the past five years on three of its plants: Clinton, Quad Cities and Byron. The nuclear plants are having a hard time competing in the marketplace partly because plentiful supplies have driven down the price of natural gas.<p>The utility says it is unwilling to run any nuclear plant at a loss, though its nuclear fleet is profitable overall. It says Illinois needs all of its nuclear plants for reliability and low-carbon power generation. It also warns that 8,000 jobs in Illinois would be lost if the plants were shuttered.&quot;<p><a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;wqad.com&#x2F;2015&#x2F;08&#x2F;04&#x2F;quad-city-wind-energy-farms-on-the-rise-future-of-exelon-questionable&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;wqad.com&#x2F;2015&#x2F;08&#x2F;04&#x2F;quad-city-wind-energy-farms-on-th...</a><p>&quot;This really is a critical time in the 41-years at the Quad Cities station where we have never been in a position where me may have premature shutdown,&quot; said Bill Stoermer, Senior Communications Manager at Exelon in Cordova. &quot;We really need the state legislature to act. They of course are focused on the budget and to try to get some budget resolved. We certainly understand that, however we&#x27;re going to be forced to make some decisions by the end of the year regarding our plans here in Illinois.&quot;<p><a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;midwestenergynews.com&#x2F;2015&#x2F;05&#x2F;01&#x2F;exelon-we-have-to-have-an-answer-on-nuclear-plants&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;midwestenergynews.com&#x2F;2015&#x2F;05&#x2F;01&#x2F;exelon-we-have-to-ha...</a><p>&quot;Exelon was happy to embrace risk when wholesale power prices were on the rise and profits from its generation business were flowing, Hendrickson said. Only now, in a market where nuclear power is under pressure from relatively inexpensive natural gas and wind, is the company asking for help in the form of a $300-million-a-year subsidy.&quot;