House Passes New Energy Bill, Senate Set to Return Monday
Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield) speaks with Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-Swansea) during debate on an energy bill in the House Thursday. Butler opposed the bill, but praised Hoffman for his honest negotiations on the legislation. (Photo credit: Justin Fowler/State Journal Register)
After months of tense negotiations, threats of closure of nuclear plants, complaints about rate hikes, and Democratic division, the General Assembly finally appears to have an energy bill destined for law.
The House passed a new version of an energy bill Thursday night, securing 83 votes of 71 necessary, including 10 Republicans. The bill is different than the Senate-passed version advanced last week, so the Senate is expected to return to Springfield Monday to vote on the bill and advance it to Governor JB Pritzker.
The bill includes nearly $700 million in subsidies for Exelon nuclear plants in Byron and Dresden, near Morris. Exelon, the parent company of embattled Commonwealth Edison, had said it needed action by Monday to refuel the Byron plant and save it from closure.
Exelon has not confirmed the latest bill will keep Byron open, and Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-Swansea), who negotiated many parts of the final bill, says he’s keeping a watchful eye on the power generator.
"I'll be very honest with you, I don't trust Exelon," he said after the vote Thursday night. "Exelon has put us in a position of having to pass the bill. I want the nuclears to stay open, but I just don't trust 'em."
The bill also includes a target for the coal-fired Prairie State power station and the city-owned City Water Light & Power plant in Springfield to reduce emissions by 45% by 2035 and completely by 2045. If they miss the 2035 target, the plants would be forced to wind down generating units to meet the reduction mandates. Rep. Marcus Evans (D-Chicago), one of the sponsors of the negotiated legislation calls it a “big win” for House Democrats and supporters.
Many Democrats state the goal of the legislation is to reduce Illinois to zero emissions by 2050.
But that likely comes at a cost.
House Democrats say they estimate new charges will cost electric ratepayers about $3.50 per month, but outside sources, like AARP, have estimated power bills will increase by around $15 per month.
It doesn't matter if you're the lower class, middle class, or upper class, your rates for power are going up," said Rep. Dan Brady (R-Bloomington). "When the citizens across this state open their power bill or go online to see it, they're not going to like what they see in the future. They're going to remember it was courtesy of this bill."
Many Republicans have criticized Democrats for their insistence to shutter coal plants, which provide much of the energy to southern Illinois, questioning if expanded wind and solar capacity can replace existing infrastructure.
Hoffman says the bill builds reliability metrics into future plans.
"There are reliability checkpoints every five years. That was very important to all of us because we want the lights to go on, we want the heating and air conditioning to work," he said. "That's why I think you saw a lot of the Republican votes come on, because we acknowledged the importance of reliability while moving ourselves toward a more renewable future."
The bill is seen as a dramatic win for the state’s environmental lobby and for Governor JB Pritzker, who demanded closure of coal-fired power plants in any eventual bill.
Even Republicans who supported the bill were vocally frustrated at the final legislation. Rep. David Welter (R-Morris), who represents the Exelon facility in Grundy County, said Democrats were "pitting communities against each other,” forcing nuclear supporters to vote against communities with coal plants and vice versa.
The bill is expected to have enough Democratic support to pass the Senate next week before heading to Pritzker’s desk for his signature.