By Syndicated Content Jun 24, 2021 | 5:34 PM WASHINGTON (Reuters) â Five Democrats in the U.S. Senate introduced a bill on Thursday that would allow some existing nuclear power plants to receive a tax credit equal to an incentive already given to operators of wind power turbines. The bill, led by Senator Ben Cardin, provides a production tax credit of $15 per megawatt hour for existing nuclear plant owners or operators in states such as New York, Illinois, and Pennsylvania which have deregulated power markets. Cardinâs state, Maryland, has two reactors at Exelon Corpâs Calvert Cliffs plant. Nuclear reactors are virtually emissions-free, but have been struggling to compete with power generation fueled by natural gas, and wind and solar power. The United States has 93 reactors, down from 104 in 2012, as rising security and safety costs put additional pressures on the business.