Update on Energy Bill Negotiations
The Prairie State Energy Campus in Marissa would be forced to close by 2035 under current drafts of an energy bill scheduled for a vote next week in Springfield.
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The General Assembly returns next week for a vote on a long-expected energy bill. There’s no bill filed yet, in fact, we’re told there’s not even language on paper. Apparently, there is only a “general agreement” at this point with nothing on paper, and all sides are working to pull a bill together. We probably won’t even see language filed until Friday or Monday.
Here’s what I know about the agreement so far:
There is no further deal on closing coal-fired plants like the Prairie State Energy Campus in Marissa in southern Illinois by 2035. Judging by what Senate President Don Harmon told Crain’s Chicago Business, it appears the closure date is still in the bill and they can still get to 36 votes in the Senate with the language.
Decarbonization requirements are a big reason why Governor JB Pritzker is on board.
Closing Marissa means supply and reliability concerns for much of southern Illinois, I’m told. Marissa provides enough supply to power 1.6 million homes, and that would have to be replaced by something in the meantime.
The nuclear subsidies are included, and there will be some hand wringing over rate increases and subsidies for Exelon, the parent company of Commonwealth Edison. Of course, ComEd was at the center of the bribery scheme intended to influence former House Speaker Michael Madigan.
The upcharge for solar is apparently going to go up, as well. There’s a 2% upcharge cap on solar energy used now, and it would apparently increase to 4%, though I’m still confirming that.
Republicans will be skittish as eminent domain language for transmission lines is in the bill. It would facilitate projects like a long-discussed Indiana-to-Missouri transmission line.