Energy

Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. In provisions concerning the renewable portfolio standard for the Planning and Procurement Bureau, provides that, to ensure the successful development of new renewable energy projects supported through competitive procurements, for certain procurements, the Agency shall propose a process for post-award renegotiation of contract terms through its long-term renewable resources plan. Provides that such proposal shall allow for bilateral negotiation between the Agency and a winning bidder regarding contract terms, other than strike price and terms that impact strike price, that are not required under the Act. Provides that post-award renegotiation of competitively bid renewable energy credit prices shall be allowed only in cases where it is necessary to ensure the successful development of the underlying new renewable energy project based on circumstances that were unforeseeable at the time of the procurement event. Provides that, if, following the processes in the long-term renewable resources plan, the Agency and the winning bidder reach an agreement on amended terms or the winning bidder is entitled to a change in price, then, upon petition by the winning bidder or current seller, the Commission shall issue an order directing the utility counterparty to execute a form amendment drafted by the Agency with the revised terms or the new strike price. Provides that the Agency shall provide the amendment to the utility within 15 business days after the Commission's order and the utility buyer shall execute the amendment no more than 7 calendar days after delivery by the Agency. Provides that the Agency shall develop the form amendment following comments by interested parties. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax credit for each taxpayer that manufactures renewable diesel in Illinois for use by a rail carrier. Provides that the amount of the credit is $1 per gallon of renewable diesel that is manufactured by the taxpayer in the State for use by a rail carrier. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. Provides that the Illinois Commerce Commission, in consultation with the Illinois Power Agency, shall develop standards and guidelines to prohibit any Illinois ratepayer funds from being used by the Agency for the procurement under the Agency's long-term renewable resources procurement plan of solar panels that are not manufactured or assembled by a company located in North America.

Amends the Illinois Enterprise Zone Act. Makes technical changes. Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. Provides that the long-term renewable resources procurement plan shall include the procurement of renewable energy credits from high voltage direct current renewable energy credits. Provides that the Illinois Power Agency shall conduct at least one forward procurement for high voltage direct current renewable energy credits within 240 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Sets forth procedures for application and bidding. Provides that, no later than December 1, 2025, the Agency shall create and issue a report that describes how transmission systems limit the ability of electric utilities to meet renewable resource procurement goals. Makes changes in provisions concerning legislative declarations and findings and definitions. Makes conforming changes. Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that an electric utility that has entered into a contract to purchase high voltage direct current renewable energy credits shall be entitled to recover through tariffed charges all costs related to the purchase of high voltage direct current renewable energy credits under the contract. Provides that an entity that received a contract to provide high voltage direct current renewable energy credits and the associated high voltage direct current transmission lines shall not be obligated to submit an annual supplier diversity report to the Illinois Commerce Commission. Makes changes to provisions concerning definitions. Amends the Prevailing Wage Act to make a conforming change. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. Prohibits a company that provides solar project installation services or solar facility installation services from installing a solar project or solar facility in Illinois without posting and maintaining, with the Illinois Power Agency, a surety bond in the amount of $2,000,000 or such higher amount as is annually set by the Agency by rule. Requires the Agency to adopt rules to establish requirements for the mandated surety bonds and procedures for posting and maintaining those bonds. Requires the rules adopted by the Agency to prescribe the type and amount of the surety bond required and the conditions under which the Agency is entitled to collect moneys from such bonds. Authorizes the rules adopted by the Agency to contain any other provisions the Agency deems necessary to administer the provisions of the amendatory Act. Directs the Agency to annually adjust the amount of the required surety bond beginning 2 years after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Creates the Solar Installation Fund. Provides that any moneys forfeited to the State from the required surety bonds shall be deposited into the Solar Installation Fund and shall, upon approval by the Governor and the Director of the Agency, be used by and under the direction of the Agency for the purpose of ensuring that certain rebate and warranty obligations of such a company are met. Authorizes the Agency to enter into contracts and agreements it deems necessary to carry out the provisions of the amendatory Act. Provides that neither the State, nor the Director of the Agency, nor any State employee shall be liable for any damages or injuries arising out of or resulting from any action taken under the provisions of the amendatory Act. Allows the Agency to approve or disapprove any surety bond. Allows a person whose surety bond is disapproved to contest the disapproval. Makes a conforming change in the State Finance Act.

Creates the Appliance Standards Act. Directs the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to adopt minimum efficiency standards for covered products. Provides for testing, certification, and labeling of covered products. Contains provisions concerning enforcement of the Act's requirements. Provides for administrative rulemaking by the Agency. Makes findings. Defines terms.

Creates the Powering Up Illinois Act. Defines terms. Sets forth findings. Requires an electric utility that operates within the State to (i) upgrade the State's electrical distribution systems as needed and in time to achieve the State's decarbonization goals, and implement federal, State, regional, and local air quality and decarbonization standards, plans, and regulations, (ii) conduct sufficient advance planning, engineering, and construction of increased distribution of system capacity by advance ordering transformers and other needed equipment so that customers can be energized without substantial delay, (iii) promptly energize new customers, including by ensuring that new housing, new businesses, and new charging for light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty vehicles and off-road vehicles, vessels, trains, and equipment can be used without delay caused by a failure of the utility to implement energization projects, (iv) promptly upgrade service when needed by customers, (v) allow customers seeking energization to choose an optional flexible connection agreement, which shall provide a tariffed, voluntary utility offering that requires customers to agree to specified service levels as a requirement of energization or interconnection through the use of demand response technology that limits the net import and export of electricity at the point of common coupling to remain within the rated capacity limits of a customer's existing service connection or distribution circuit, either on a permanent basis or to allow for immediate project operations before service or distribution system upgrades are completed, and (vi) recruit, train, and retain an adequately sized and qualified workforce to carry out the planning, engineering, and construction of electrical distribution systems needed to promptly serve customers seeking energization and service upgrades without sacrificing other necessary activities of the workforce. Sets forth provisions concerning: the staffing of an electrification team; electric utility requirements; recovery of costs; and safety standards. Effective immediately.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that, beginning January 1, 2028, no person may knowingly cause or allow the mixing of a photovoltaic module with municipal waste that is intended for disposal at a landfill. Provides that, beginning January 1, 2028, no person may knowingly cause or allow the disposal of a photovoltaic module in a sanitary landfill. Defines "consumer electronic device" and "photovoltaic module". Effective January 1, 2027.

Creates the Climate Corporate Accountability Act. Provides that, on or before July 1, 2026, the Secretary of State shall develop and adopt rules to require a reporting entity to annually disclose to the emissions registry, and verify, all of the reporting entity's scope 1 emissions, scope 2 emissions, and scope 3 emissions. Provides that a reporting entity, starting on January 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, shall publicly disclose to the emissions registry all of the reporting entity's scope 1 emissions and scope 2 emissions for the prior calendar year, and its scope 3 emissions for that same calendar year no later than 180 days after that date. Provides that the Secretary of State shall contract with an emissions registry to develop a reporting and registry program to receive and make publicly available disclosures. Provides that, on or before January 1, 2027, the Secretary of State shall contract with the University of Illinois, a national laboratory, or another equivalent academic institution to prepare a report on the public disclosures made by reporting entities to the emissions registry. Provides that the emissions registry, on or before January 1, 2027, shall create a digital platform, which shall be accessible to the public, that will house all disclosures submitted by reporting entities to the emissions registry. Provides for enforcement of the Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. Removes the requirement for the Illinois Power Agency to annually determine the amount of utility-scale renewable energy credits it will include each year from the self-direct renewable portfolio standard compliance program. Provides that the self-direct credit amount for each renewable energy credit supplied shall be determined annually and is equal to the volumetric charge collected under a provision in the Public Utilities Act. Provides that the approved self-direct credit amount shall be multiplied by each renewable energy credit procured by participating self-direct customers for up to 100% of the self-direct customer's annual consumption. Provides that the self-direct customer's utility bill credit amount shall consist of a credit towards the utility-scale renewable energy portion of the volumetric charge and shall not include a credit toward the portion of the volumetric charge associated with procuring renewable energy credits through existing and future contracts under the Adjustable Block Program, the Solar for All Program, and a specified provision of the Act. Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that the provisions of the Illinois Power Agency Act relating to the payments by retail customers of a utility for the purpose of recovering the utility's costs for procuring renewable energy credits shall not apply to an alternative retail electric supplier, or its customers, that operates a combined heat and power system in this State, or that has a corporate affiliate that operates a combined heat and power system in this State, and supplies electricity primarily to or for the benefit of certain specified facilities. Effective immediately.