By Stephen Nakrosis

Exelon Corp. on Wednesday said Exelon Generation Company LLC reversed its decision to retire the Byron and Dresden nuclear plants in Illinois, following the signing of new energy legislation by the state's governor, J.B. Pritzker.

The company said the legislation "promotes jobs and lowers carbon emissions by scaling up renewables, investing in electrification and adopting critical job training programs and labor standards." It also said the legislation "creates a process for the state to procure carbon mitigation credits from nuclear plants, which are critical to keeping Illinois on a path to reach net zero emissions by 2050."

The company said its Byron Generating Station was due to begin the defueling process and permanent shut down today, while its Dresden Generating Station was scheduled to retire in November.

Gov. Pritzker said, "As of today, Illinois is a force for good, for an environmental future we can be proud of. With economic growth and jobs woven into its fabric, this new law is the most significant step Illinois has taken in a generation toward a reliable, renewable, affordable and clean energy future."

Write to Stephen Nakrosis at stephen.nakrosis@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

09-15-21 1717ET