Dive Summary:

• Exelon Corp., owner of Chicago’s Commonwealth Edison, is looking to reduce nuclear output from its Illinois plants when spot electricity prices in the market dip dramatically due to low demand in the spring and fall.
• Exelon hopes to revive a pilot program with regional power grid operator PJM Interconnection to reduce output by up to 10% at some nuke plants whenever PJM informs the company that wholesale prices are likely to go “negative.”
• Exelon CEO Chris Crane said competition from Midwestern wind farms causes negative pricing, especially at night when demand is low but energy is still being cranked out from the wind turbines. The CEO asked Congress to end the federal tax subsidy for new wind farms, but Congress extended the expiring subsidy.

From the article:

“Illinois' low wholesale power prices, created by excess supply, are benefiting households and businesses in the form of low electric bills. But they're reducing profits for Exelon, which had to cut its dividend 41 percent earlier this year.”