Chicago Consent-Based Siting Workshop
On August 17th the Mothers for Nuclear team headed to the windy city of Chicago to host our third consent-based siting workshop. As we arrived in Chicago and admired the urban city cleanly powered by its seven nuclear plants, we questioned what it would take for other cities to clean up their energy systems.
Over the years, Illinois has had several rounds of efforts to ensure their clean nuclear plants are properly valued - starting in 2017 we had a Save the Nukes rally, and since then, several more efforts like when Stand Up For Nuclear and Campaign for Green Nuclear Deal helped defend continued operation of Byron and Dresden in 2021. Because of these previous experiences, we had many connections there that we leveraged to reach more locals and build intentional relationships.
When deciding the location of our workshop we wanted a community venue that felt open and accessible for folks. Museums are already places of public learning and community gathering, so we reached out to several, and the Chicago History Museum fit the bill, bordering the beautiful and iconic Lincoln Park. Much to their pleasure, attendees also received a ticket to go through the museum free of charge, adding to the educational draw of the venue.
We soon came to find out that the National Democratic Convention was being held the week of our event. In an effort to maximize our reach, we had folks from the TC-BC team and Paris from MfN head out early to network and highlight our event.
Wyatt and Ryan from TC-BC focused on scheduling in-person meetings with tribal groups and clubs in the surrounding areas. Although many were skeptical they appreciated the outreach and emphasized this was the first step and many more conversations were needed.
Paris arrived a day early, attended a YIMBY networking event, and met many California and Illinois residents who were pro-housing and also supported abundant clean energy. Aka nuclear!
Jennifer and Heather on the Blue Line
The rest of the team arrived on Friday and united at a classic Chicago pizza restaurant to prepare. The morning of our event, instead of taking an Uber, we all walked over together, passing through a farmers market, stopping at a local cafe for breakfast, and enjoying the beautiful last days of summer in the green city of Chicago. Many of our guests arrived using public transport, emphasizing the importance of choosing our venue near transit.
Walking from our hotel to the museum
Our amazing venue, the Chicago History Museum
Upon arriving at the venue, excitement and nervousness for the event began to set in. By looking at registrations, we knew that some prominent skeptics of nuclear would be in attendance alongside some old and new friends of nuclear energy.
This time around we were so happy to have our MfN board member, Dr. Jennifer Klay, join us. The night before we had the chance to review and edit the presentation in a way that allowed us to highlight our unique perspectives. This was the first time we did a joint presentation together as a group. Heather, Jennifer, and Paris were all on stage together and we are happy to report that it flowed beautifully!
Next came our friends at TC-BC. After receiving feedback from our last workshop at Salt Lake City, they broke their discussion into three parts, the past, the present, and the future. This new layout allowed their team to take the audience through a holistic approach to the tribe's history, present circumstances, and hopes for the future.
The final session of our presentations was Dr. Robert Hayes of North Carolina State University who explained the technical facts of nuclear and waste, recentering our conversation to the central task we were there to address - ideas of consent and used fuel storage.
This content piqued the interest of many individuals prompting them to ask questions regarding the details of how much fuel there was in the United States, where it currently sits, and how much of it was actually “toxic.”
These concepts were explored even further in afternoon breakout sessions where we encouraged discussion between all attendees. Two representatives from each of our consortia groups, MFN, TCBC, and NC State, were taking notes and recording the questions asked.
It was super helpful and our favorite part when we get to engage with folks and really delve into their perspective and express their full concerns.
Often, these groups were composed of a variety of people from different backgrounds and wholly different views on nuclear energy. For instance, one table had a nuclear engineer from Argonne National Labs, another from NEIS (an organization opposed to nuclear), a YIMBY housing advocate, a military veteran, and another member of the consent-based siting effort from another consortia group. This group had vastly different ideas and knowledge about the topic - it was a challenge to moderate the discussion in a way that felt engaging and productive. We accomplished this by asking theoretical questions, encouraging the team to listen to each other, and validating each other’s concerns. It's tricky! We didn’t end up “solving nuclear waste,” but we reached a point where everyone at the table realized the common ground of climate change and how urgently we need action.
Passionate discussions happening during the tabling sessions
At another table, we had a gentleman who had seen the ad in the newspaper about our event that very morning, and at the last minute decided to join us. Come to find out he had protested nuclear plants in his area and was a solar enthusiast. However, after chatting with him, he was very curious to learn that nuclear waste from reactors couldn’t be used for bombs and what happens during a meltdown. We were delighted by his kindness, curiosity, and the incredibly valuable feedback he provided.
Finally, there was a second member of NEIS joining us. For the last 30 years, he devoted his time to working on nuclear issues and was previously involved in a past consent-based siting effort. He challenged us on the definition of “consent.”
We were thrilled to have diverse and strong perspectives shared during this workshop. The input from those opposing nuclear energy added valuable depth to our discussions, which we greatly appreciate. Building consensus requires addressing all questions, challenges, and ideas. People need to see all angles, deliberate openly, and feel heard before they can evaluate and embrace solutions.
When wrapping up our workshop we had a member of the NEIS say, “While there were differing opinions, the focus on climate change remained a common concern.”
Some of our key takeaways:
Hosting in a museum worked great!
Luma was user-friendly, amazing for gathering insight into our registrations, and simplified follow-up engagements.
Legislators and other community decision-makers can provide an effective way to reach larger audiences - we will prioritize reaching out to this group for future events.
Clarifying the schedule, shortening the workshop, and emphasizing full participation would enhance its effectiveness.
We are doing this in support of a better future for our children
Find our Chicago presentation here*link.
We are heading to Tallahassee, Florida in January. If you have family or friends in the area or plan to be nearby, please join us!
Every city we visit has unique and special personality. We’re excited for Talahassee!