NEIS media advisory: "Stop the Nuclear Bailout!" Mock Exelon "Fun(d)-Raiser"
MEDIA ADVISORY
For immediate use -- Monday, 26 January, 2015
Contact: Dave Kraft, Director, Nuclear Energy Information Service, (773)342-7650 (o); (630)506-2864 (c)
WHAT: “Stop the Nuclear Bailout!” Mock Exelon “Fun(d)-Raiser”
WHEN: Tuesday, January 27, 2015; 11:30 to 12:15.
LOCATION AND DETAILS:
- 111 W. Grand Ave., (Grand and Clark St., SW corner), Chicago, Illinois.
- Fliers against the Exelon billion-dollar nuclear bailout will be passed out to attendees of the City Club of Chicago luncheon, “Illinois’ Energy Future: A Policy Discussion,” to be held at Maggiano’s Restaurant.
- Signs, placards and banners will be displayed by “nuclear workers” in radiation suits, taking up a (faux-)collection in behalf of the impoverished, money-losing Exelon Corporation reactors. Minimum “contributions” of $100,000 will be requested of those pro-nuclear people attending the luncheon. Cash, checks, Kruegerrands and bitcoin “accepted” (sorry – no credit cards!).
WHO:
- Speakers from Nuclear Energy Information Service (NEIS), concerned citizens
BACKGROUND:
The City Club of Chicago is sponsoring a luncheon under the innocent-sounding heading of, “Illinois’ Energy Future: A Policy Discussion.” However, two of the main speakers are spokespeople for the Exelon-funded “Nuclear Matters” pro-nuclear front group, and a third a member of the Nuclear Energy Institute, the trade and lobbying association for the U.S. nuclear power industry, whose current head is none other than Philip Crane – CEO of Exelon Corporation. This heavily biased panel will be speaking to City Club members at a time when Exelon is engaged in attempting to win Illinois ratepayer-funded bailouts for its five money-losing reactors in Illinois from the Illinois Legislature and FERC.
NEIS is staging a “faux-fun(d)raiser” in Exelon’s behalf, to reduce the amount of money they will need to legally extort from Illinois ratepayers – and to send a message to the Governor, the Legislature and public about how absurd and full of audacity Exelon’s undeserved demands are.
Spokespeople will be available to answer questions during the event.
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Photo credit: Gail Snyder, NEIS.Here is NEIS's follow up to the press advisory and press release posted above.
Exelon (faux-)fun(d)raiser ‘total failure,’ groups say
CHICAGO-- An organization conducting an “alms for Exelon” street fun(d)raiser for the impoverished utility admits that the event was “a total failure.”
“We're really bummed out. To try to prevent Illinois ratepayers from having to fork over $580 million to bailout Exelon’s unprofitable reactors in Illinois, we had hoped to raise funds from individuals who ideologically support nuclear power,” says David Kraft, director of Nuclear Energy Information Service, referring to a Chicago City Club Luncheon featuring three pro-nuclear speakers from Exelon-funded front groups “Nuclear Matters” and the Nuclear Energy Institute.
“We were shocked that not a single pro-nuclear supporter was willing to donate $100,000 to Exelon, to support their beleaguered nuclear plants,” Kraft reports. "I mean -- what ever happened to 'brand loyalty'?" Kraft wondered.
“It has to make one wonder – especially if you’re Governor Rauner or a legislator: if people staunchly in favor of continuing to operate unprofitable nuclear reactors won’t give a dime to the cause, why should millions of Illinois ratepayers be forced to do so?” asks Kraft.
The faux-fun(d)raiser consisted of six NEIS volunteers with collection buckets asking those attending the City Club Luncheon on the topic of “Illinois’ Energy Future” to kick in a minimum of $100,000 for Exelon. Informational fliers were distributed in opposition to the possible Exelon bailout.
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And see NEIS's press statement, “CHUTZPAH” OR TRANSFORMATION? ILLINOIS LEGISLATURE MUST SOON DECIDE.
NEIS's director, Dave Kraft, rebutted "Nuclear Matters'" Carol Browner on WBEZ, NPR's Chicago affiliate, today.