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Saying Illinois will not meet its 2035 electrification goals if
the state eliminates energy options before they are replaced,
the Clean Energy Choice Coalition advocated for a package of
energy legislation at the Illinois Capitol this week.
State Sen. Javier Cervantes, D-Chicago, said Senate Bill 3979
requires a thorough review of customer bill impacts before
large-scale gas transition projects are approved and protects
rate-payers from unfair cost increases and shifting.
‘Now what it doesn’t do, it does not stop electrification or
clean energy innovation and it does not roll back environmental
progress,” Cervantes said.
State Sen. Terri Bryant, R-Murphysboro, said Senate Bill 4028
would have the Illinois Commerce Commission address outdated
interconnection rules that lead to lengthy timelines and
inconsistent costs for developers and businesses.
“The bill gives the ICC 180 days to initiate and complete a
rulemaking to modernize those interconnection standards and
remove bottlenecks,” Bryant said.
State Sen. Patrick Joyce, D-Essex, introduced Senate Bill 3929
for an extension of Illinois’ clean energy timeline from 2050 to
2060.
State Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, said the package of bills
provide reliability and affordability.
“It’s about our most vulnerable and low-income residents from
even higher costs, and they are about ensuring Illinois stays
strong and does not experience preventable energy losses,” Rezin
said.
Rezin said natural gas remains a backbone for reliable and
affordable energy.
Representing the CECC, Lissa Druss said a recent state resource
adequacy study projects tightening grid margins, rising capacity
prices and long-term infrastructure challenges.
“When energy options disappear before replacements are
available, reliable and adequate, reliability suffers, costs
increase and vulnerable residents are hit the hardest,” Druss
said.
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