By Eric Stock

CHICAGO – Exelon has moved closer to retiring its nuclear plants at Clinton and the Quad Cities.

The energy company has formally notified the Nuclear Regulatory Commission of its plans to close the Clinton plant next June and the plant in Cordova in 2018.

“This is one more step in the process of retiring the plant,” Clinton plant spokesman Brett Nauman said. “There will be other notifications to take place in the coming months.”

Brett Nauman said it’s getting more difficult by the day to spare the plants from closing.

Exelon had called on state lawmakers to pass legislation that would have aided nuclear power, but Nauman said lawmakers haven’t shown any interest, even after the plant announced it was closing.

“We worked for more than two years to find a solution, but now it is time to take the necessary steps to retire the plants,” said Chris Crane, Exelon president and CEO. “We are committed to working with all stakeholders to ensure the plants are shut down in a responsible, safe and transparent way.”

Exelon said it will offer to relocate to all 700 workers at the Clinton plant to its 11 others plants that will remain in operation, including four in Illinois.

“That does make it a little bit better,” Nauman said.