Brattle Report Finds Relicensing Quad Cities Clean Energy Center Would Deliver Substantial Economic and Clean Energy Benefits Across Illinois and Iowa
In a new report, experts from The Brattle Group find that relicensing the Quad Cities Clean Energy Center (QCCEC) in Illinois would generate substantial long-term economic, employment, reliability, and environmental benefits across Illinois and neighboring Iowa communities. The analysis, prepared for Constellation, evaluates the regional impacts of extending the plant’s operations beyond its current 2032 license expiration.
According to the report, Economic Impacts of Relicensing the Quad Cities Clean Energy Center (QCCEC), relicensing QCCEC through 2052 would contribute approximately $21 billion to regional GDP, support an average of 1,439 jobs annually across Illinois and adjacent Iowa counties, and preserve an estimated $4.6 billion in state and federal tax revenues through 2050.
“Our analysis shows that the Quad Cities Clean Energy Center provides substantial economic and energy system value to the region,” said Dr. Dean Murphy, Brattle Principal and coauthor of the report. “Relicensing the facility would help support local employment, moderate electricity costs, and advance regional clean energy goals while maintaining reliable baseload generation.”
Dr. Murphy and his coauthor, Managing Energy Associate Dr. Wonjun Chang, used Brattle’s proprietary gridSIM power sector model and the REMI Policy Insight economic model to evaluate both electricity market impacts and broader macroeconomic outcomes under two scenarios: extending the plant’s operations through 2052 or retiring the facility at the end of its current license in 2032.
The report finds that continued operation of the QCCEC would avoid more than 88 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions across the PJM and MISO electricity markets through 2050. In addition, retiring the plant in 2032 would increase cumulative electricity costs for ratepayers by an estimated $6.8 billion through 2050 due to the need for replacement generation resources and higher wholesale electricity prices.
