House Republican members of the Illinois House Energy & Environment and Public Utilities Committees held a Capitol news conference Tuesday to warn of a coming summer energy cost crisis and offer solutions to expand energy production capacity.
The Republicans held the press conference after last week sending the House’s Energy & Environment Committee Chair and Vice Chair a letter explaining the urgent need for hearings into the recent results of the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) capacity auction which returned a shocking $666.50 per Megawatt-day price across all zones in the summer. They say the same price just one year ago was $30.
State Representative Dave Severin (R-Benton) serves as the House Republican ranking member and spokesman on the House Energy & Environment Committee. Severin says Illinois’ energy policies are to blame for the recent huge spikes in energy costs for Illinois utility customers.
“House Republicans are concerned for the financial future of our constituents and our businesses, and for the future security, reliability, and affordability of our energy grid. We need answers. The numbers don’t lie. We don’t have enough energy production capacity,” Severin said. We have artificially and prematurely stifled our coal, oil, and natural gas industries in Illinois. Summer is coming. Weeks and months of 90-degree weather are coming soon. With that weather, we know big energy price spikes are coming.”
House Republicans say they have bills to roll back CEJA provisions and keep Illinoisans working:
HB 4050 – Restores provisions in the Act regarding greenhouse gases to their form before Public Act 102-662. Repeals a provision defining “clean energy.”
HB 1544 – In a provision regarding greenhouse gases, extends deadlines by 5 years for reduced or zero carbon dioxide equivalent and copollutant emissions by certain electric generating units and large greenhouse gas-emitting units.
HB 1545 – In a provision regarding greenhouse gases, extends deadlines by 10 years for reduced or zero carbon dioxide equivalent and copollutant emissions by certain electric generating units and large greenhouse gas-emitting units.
HB 1546 – In a provision regarding greenhouse gases, extends deadlines by 5 years for reduced or zero carbon dioxide equivalent and copollutant emissions by certain electric generating units and large greenhouse gas-emitting units that use coal as a fuel.
HB 1547 – Extends deadlines for reduced or zero carbon dioxide emissions by 10 years for certain EGUs and large greenhouse gas-emitting units.
