One of the nation’s largest utilities is considering returning to the power generation business as concerns grow about future energy shortages.

Calvin Butler, chief executive officer of Chicago-based Exelon, told securities analysts Thursday that the company was in strategic talks about building new generation with most governors in the six mid-Atlantic and Great Lakes states where it distributes power to more than 10 million customers.

“We are increasingly advocating that our [state] jurisdiction be proactive and taking more control over their power supply … with solutions like utility-owned generation that the regulators oversee, giving them control certainty and cost benefits to customers that markets alone don’t offer,” Butler said.

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He added: “We’re going to be part of the solution and we’re committed to it because it goes right to the affordability question.”