UPDATED: Vote on Stalled Energy Bill Could Come Next Week
The Exelon nuclear plant in Byron.
UPDATE (3:45 P.M.):
The Senate returns for a vote next Tuesday. From the Senate President’s spokesman:
The Illinois Senate will return to session on Tuesday, June 15 for the purpose of voting on clean energy legislation that Gov. JB Pritzker negotiated to set Illinois on a path to a nation-leading renewable energy plan.
“This is a landmark clean energy plan that both protects thousands of jobs and moves Illinois responsibly toward the future,” said Illinois Senate President Don Harmon.
It is expected that the Senate session will be one day only.
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UPDATE (4:05 P.M.):
From House Speaker Chris Welch:
"As I indicated before we adjourned on the final day of session, the House is expected to return next week on Wednesday, June 16 to take care of some final-action legislation. Items such as the energy proposal, unemployment insurance, and an elected school board for Chicago will be at the top of our list. We were able to accomplish big things this legislative session, and I'm eager to keep that spirit alive in a quick special session next week."
It appears the General Assembly could return to Springfield next week for a vote on an expansive energy bill that would likely include subsidies to keep nuclear plants in the state open, force the eventual closure of coal-fired power plants in the state, and likely include incentives for green energy projects.
Senate President Don Harmon apparently told Crain’s Chicago Business of his plans for the legislation yesterday.
Harmon, D-Oak Park, said he didn’t expect there to be changes to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s insistence that all coal-fired plants in Illinois shut down by 2035, despite the entreaties of municipally-owned utilities that are on the hook past that date to pay for the Prairie State plant built a little over a decade ago. Those utilities, and unions representing workers at the plant in Marissa, Ill., about 40 miles southeast of St. Louis, continue to lobby lawmakers to permit the plant to stay open longer.
When asked for details or confirmation about the story Monday night, Harmon’s spokesman referred us to a statement last week saying Harmon “supports” Governor JB Pritzker on energy talks.
There’s little detail floating around at this point about how much taxpayers or ratepayers could be on the hook, especially for Exelon, the parent company of Commonwealth Edison, which pleaded guilty in a federal bribery scheme attempting to win favor with former House Speaker Michael Madigan.
Industry publication Energy News Now reported last week Prtizker had agreed to $600 million in subsidies. The Illinoize has been unable to independently confirm the figure.
Some downstate lawmakers have been balking at conditions in the bill to close coal-fired powerplants, like three downstate, by 2035.
Last week, Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield) said energy sources like wind can’t replace coal, especially in the short term.
“We don’t question the increased role renewables will play in our state’s energy future, but we have to create responsible transitional policy that includes diversity of baseload resources to ensure our electric grid remains strong as further technologies are developed,” he said.
There were allegations that Harmon had held up the bill in the final hours of the legislative session. Harmon’s statement last week claimed he “supports the Governor in these talks.”
“I think enough of the members that were concerned about (Prairie State) have come to terms with the 2035 date,” Harmon said in an interview with Crain’s.
