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In the national energy conversation, nuclear power is framed in megawatts, steam domes, and promises of clean power.

But in Illinois, nuclear power has long meant something more immediate: jobs.

And no town reflects that story quite like Morris, Illinois.

In the 1960s and ’70s, Morris became a centerpiece of the Illinois nuclear expansion.

What started as prairie farmland just an hour from Chicago soon became a hub for America’s nuclear future. General Electric attempted to build our country’s first and only private nuclear reprocessing facility, and nearby, the Dresden Generating Station, which was one of the first commercial nuclear power plants in the US.

But these facilities didn’t just generate electricity. They transformed the local economy.

Union trades boomed. Engineering firms opened satellite offices. Local high schools and community colleges expanded vocational training in welding, pipefitting, and electrical work.

Thousands of workers were hired during construction phases alone, many of whom stayed in the region to support long-term plant operations and maintenance.

While not all of the original nuclear ambitions at Morris materialized (the reprocessing facility was never brought online commercially), the workforce built around it stuck around.

Dresden Station, still operating today, directly supports hundreds of high wage jobs and indirectly supports thousands more through supply chains, vendors, and local services.

And Morris isn’t alone. Across Illinois, our state’s 11 operating nuclear reactors (more than any other state) have been stable employers in rural and suburban communities where few industries can match their economic footprint:

In towns like Morris, Clinton, and Byron, nuclear plants are more than energy infrastructure. They fund STEM education programs. They sustain middle class families in places where other heavy industry has long disappeared.

And as Illinois looks ahead to advanced reactors, small modular plants, and AI energy systems, these nuclear towns offer a roadmap. They show what it looks like when energy innovation is paired with workforce development and long-term economic stability.

Nuclear plants aren’t just quiet giants on the grid, they’re economic engines. For Illinois, the decision to invest in nuclear decades ago wasn’t just about power generation. It was a bet on skilled labor, regional resilience, and longterm prosperity.

And for places like Morris, the bet is still paying off.

Chicago has more manufacturing square footage than any other US city, and we're only second to LA for manufacturing jobs.

While this is good news, it’s also clear that cities like Austin, Dallas and Phoenix are adding new space faster than we are. Chicago’s growth was 2.1% from 2019-2023 compared to 10.2% in Austin and 11.4 in Phoenix

Chicago needs to keep building.

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