Exelon closing two nuclear plants

Utility giant Exelon announced Thursday that it will close two of its nuclear plants in Illinois over the next two years and lay off hundreds of workers, blaming political and market issues.

The company, which became the largest utility in the nation when it purchased the Washington area’s Pepco earlier this year, said it no longer can cope with the higher cost of keeping the plants operating, despite years of struggle to keep them afloat.