CHICAGO (AP) – Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner is set to sign legislation that provides billions of dollars in subsidies to Exelon Corp. so the power giant can keep unprofitable nuclear plants running in Clinton and the Quad Cities.

The Republican is scheduled to sign legislation Wednesday to keep the Quad Cities plant open in Port Byron in the morning and do the same later in the day in Clinton to keep the plant there running.

The measure that provides $235 million per year to Exelon was approved by lawmakers last week. It calls for more than 4 million customers of power-distributing subsidiaries ComEd and Ameren to pay more to finance the plan. Rauner previously criticized “special deals” for corporations but last week said closing the plants would have “devastated the two communities.

The Illinois Manufacturer’s Association said that Rauner’s signature on the bill has weakened Illinois’ ability to compete for middle class manufacturing jobs.

And AARP Illinois had asked Rauner to veto the measure, saying that with its passage consumers may be on the verge of a $13.3 billion rate increase, the highest rate hike in our nation’s history.