IL Senate Democrats pass Clean & Reliable Grid Affordability Act, send bill to Pritzker

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — The Illinois Senate passed the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act after a lengthy debate Thursday night.

This plan calls on Illinois to build three gigawatts of utility scale battery storage. It will also bring more wind and solar projects online, invest in geothermal technology, lift the state's nuclear construction moratorium and help state agencies better plan for energy demand spikes.

"The passage of the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act marks the biggest climate action by any state since the Trump administration rolled back the federal Inflation Reduction Act, and further cements Illinois' legacy as a national leader on climate," said Illinois Environmental Council CEO Jen Walling. "While Trump and his cronies in the federal government dismantle climate and cost-saving policies, Illinois is stepping up to fill the gap."

However, Republicans and manufacturers said this legislation will raise energy rates even higher on families and businesses.

"We care about the little guy. We care about the consumer. It's going to be okay. We're doing this to get tough on those evil energy companies," said Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet). "'Green is good, and we're going to lower your power bills.' Well, you know what? Nobody believes you. Nobody believes you."

The Illinois Power Agency reported Tuesday that deploying three gigawatts of battery storage could save Ameren and ComEd customers $13.4 billion over 20 years.

Senate Bill 25 passed out of the Senate on a 37-22 vote. It previously received a 70-37 vote in the House.

"We'll incentivize an estimated 1.8 gigawatts for virtual powerplants, which is energy storage, demand response and other technology at homes and businesses," Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-Swansea) said. "This will be about 5% of our peak load."

The Illinois Manufacturers' Association stressed their members need reliable and affordable energy to produce goods consumers rely on, including food, pharmaceuticals, machinery and household products. IMA President and CEO Mark Denzler said this proposal repeats mistakes of the past by raising costs on manufacturers and working families without addressing underlying capacity and supply issues that are projected to lead to energy shortfalls.

"While there are some provisions of the legislation we support, including lifting the moratorium on nuclear facilities, more work needs to be done to strengthen our state's energy marketplace, protect consumers and encourage long-term economic investment," Denzler said.

The measure now heads to Gov. JB Pritzker's desk for his signature of approval. Pritzker said he looks forward to signing the measure as private grid operators have been hiking up rates that are making it harder for Illinois families to pay their utility bills and the Trump administration has blocked the ability to bring low cost energy options online.

"It will accelerate clean energy projects with new grid-scale batteries and other clean energy technology to increase the available electricity supply," Pritzker said. "Second, it will require utility companies to help their consumers to lower their utility bills and access energy efficient resources. This bill will build upon the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, positioning Illinois to keep growing our clean energy economy and creating good-paying jobs in communities across the state."

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