State Senator Michael E. Hastings (D-Tinley Park) kicked off his statewide energy tour this week in the south suburbs at the Braidwood Generating Station. As the newly appointed chairman of the Senate’s Energy and Public Utilities Committee, he started this series of tours and educational visits to help put his role as energy chairman into perspective.  Hastings met with the employees at the Braidwood station to thank them for their hard-work to ensure the lights stay on in homes across Illinois

BRAIDWOOD – State Senator Michael E. Hastings (D-Tinley Park) kicked off his statewide energy tour this week in the south suburbs at the Braidwood Generating Station.

Hastings, newly appointed chairman of the Senate’s Energy and Public Utilities Committee, started this series of tours and educational visits to help put his role as energy chairman into perspective.

“I’m a firm believer that the only way to make responsible and educated decisions is to tour these facilities to ensure we craft policies that modernize and safeguard Illinois’ energy infrastructure,” Hastings said. “As the new energy chairman, I’m eager to learn more and gain a complete picture on how the energy decisions we make in Springfield impact families across Illinois.”

The power plant employs workers across the south suburbs, including many residents from Grundy and Kankakee counties, as well as the 19th state senate district which Hastings represents.

“I appreciate and value the time employees and supervisors took to help me better understand the impact Braidwood has in maintaining Illinois’ energy independence,” Hastings said. “The hard-working employees at the Braidwood station work endlessly to help ensure the lights stay on in our homes.”

The two nuclear reactors at the power plant produce more than 2,389 megawatts of clean, carbon-free energy which is enough electricity to power 2 million homes.  

“All of us at Braidwood station were honored to host Senator Hastings and his team,” said Amy Ferko, Plant Manager of Braidwood Generating Station. “We are proud of what we do to generate safe and reliable energy and of the economic impact we have here in the local community. We look forward to working with the senator and the energy committee to further develop and broaden understanding of the benefits of nuclear energy.”

Since the Braidwood tour, Hastings has visited the Kincaid Power Station and is working on scheduling additional tours throughout the state including a tour in Coffeen in the coming weeks.