Energy

Amends the University of Illinois Act. Provides that the Board of Trustees shall direct the University of Illinois System, in addition to the Office of Investments and external investment managers, to not invest the assets of any endowment fund in the stocks, securities, or other obligations of any fossil fuel company or any subsidiary, affiliate, or parent of any fossil fuel company. Provides that this does not preclude the de minimis exposure of any funds held by the endowment fund to the stocks, securities, or other obligations of any fossil fuel company or any subsidiary, affiliate, or parent of any fossil fuel company. Requires the Board of Trustees to direct the University of Illinois System, in addition to the Office of Investments and external investment managers, to not invest in any prime commercial paper or corporate bonds issued by a fossil fuel company. Provides that, beginning one year after the effective date of the amendatory Act, the Board of Trustees, subject to an affirmative determination of prudence and in accordance with sound investment criteria and consistent with its fiduciary obligations, shall direct the University of Illinois System to ensure that any endowment fund does not have any indirect investments; defines "indirect investment". Provides that the Board of Trustees shall direct the University of Illinois System, in addition to the Office of Investments and external investment managers, to adopt updates to its written investment policies, if necessary, to meet the requirements of these provisions and publish a copy of those updated policies within 90 days after the adoption of the updated policies. Effective immediately.

Creates the Home Utility Relief Act. Requires the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to create, as soon as practicable, a Home Utility Rebate Program to provide rebates to households that use electricity and that have a median household income between 100% and 500% of the poverty guidelines updated periodically in the Federal Register by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Provides that eligible households shall receive the rebates as soon as practicable after implementation of the program. Requires the Department to, by rule, establish qualifications for program participation which may include requirements that apply under the Energy Assistance Act and other requirements. Provides that rebates provided under the program shall be funded through appropriations made from the Home Utility Rebate Relief Fund created under the Act. Requires the State Comptroller to direct and the State Treasurer to transfer $500,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Home Utility Rebate Relief Fund to provide rebates to qualifying households for State fiscal years 2026 and 2027. Provides that any funds left over at the end of the second month following the conclusion of payments to households in a fiscal year may be awarded to certain qualifying first-time small business owners as determined by the Department. Requires the Department to adopt emergency rules in accordance with the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to implement the program. Amends the State Finance Act to include the Home Utility Rebate Relief Fund as a special fund. Effective immediately.

Amends the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law. Creates the High School and Area Vocational Center Grant Program. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall award grants to high schools, area vocational centers, and area career centers for the instruction and training of preapprenticeship students in the clean energy industry and the construction industry. Lists purposes for the Program. Requires the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to adopt rules.

Encourages State agencies to regulate the use of electrical lights in State buildings and facilities to better conserve energy and to minimize light pollution. Urges electrical lights in State buildings and facilities to be turned off unless the building or facility or that part of it is occupied, unless the building or facility is open 24-hours a day, limited to the areas and floors that are occupied, or unless the lighting is required for security or safety purposes.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Removes provisions prohibiting the construction of new nuclear power reactors with a nameplate capacity of more than 300 megawatts of electricity to be located within the State until the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security finds that the United States Government has identified and approved a demonstrable technology or means for the disposal of high level nuclear waste.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that a gas utility may cease providing service if the Illinois Commerce Commission determines that adequate substitute service is available at a reasonable cost to support the existing end uses of the affected utility customers. Provides for cost-effective energy efficiency measures for natural gas utilities that supersede existing provisions concerning natural gas energy efficiency programs and take effect beginning January 1, 2027. Provides that gas main and gas service extension policies shall be based on the principle that the full incremental cost associated with new development and growth shall be borne by the customers that cause those incremental costs. Provides that, no later than 60 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act, the Commission shall initiate a docketed rulemaking reviewing each gas public utility tariff that provides for gas main and gas service extensions without additional charge to new customers in excess of the default extensions as specified in administrative rule. Adds the Clean Building Heating Law Article to the Act, with provisions concerning emissions standards for heating in buildings, as well as related and other provisions. Adds the 2050 Heat Decarbonization Standard Article to the Act, with provisions concerning options for compliance, measures for customer emission reduction, customer emission reductions, tradable clean heat credits, banking of emission reductions, equity in emission reductions, enforcement, the 2050 Heat Decarbonization Pathways Study, gas infrastructure planning, a study on gas utility financial incentive reform, and reporting requirements. Adds the Statewide Navigator Program Law Article to the Act, with provisions concerning creation of a statewide navigator program, as well as related and other provisions. Amends the Energy Transition Act to add electrification industries to clean energy jobs. Effective immediately.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Changes the name of the Retail Electric Competition Article to the Retail and Renewable Electric Competition Article. Changes the name of the Retail Electric Competition Act of 2006 to the Retail and Renewable Electric Competition Act of 2006. Changes the name of the Office of Retail Market Development to the Office of Retail and Renewable Market Development and the title of the head of the Office from Director to Bureau Chief. Provides that the Bureau Chief shall have the authority to employ or otherwise retain at least 2 professionals dedicated to the task of actively seeking out ways to promote distributed renewable energy generation devices and community renewable generation projects in the State to benefit all State consumers. Provides that the Office shall actively seek input from all interested parties and shall develop a thorough understanding and critical analyses of the tools and techniques used to promote development and remove barriers to development of distributed renewable energy generation devices and community renewable generation projects. Provides that the Office shall take steps for interconnections involving distributed renewable energy resources, energy storage systems, utility-scale wind projects, and utility-scale solar projects, including interconnections to a distribution system or a transmission system. Provides that the Interconnection Working Group shall determine a single standardized cost for Level 1 interconnections, which shall not exceed $200. Provides that, in collaboration with the General Counsel of the Commission, the Office shall develop policies and procedures to facilitate employees of the Office in leading the Interconnection Working Group without interference with docketed proceedings. Provides that the Office may employ, designate, or otherwise retain the services of an Ombudsperson who is responsible for oversight of a utility's compliance with the certain rules and any other utility interconnection policies or procedures. Sets forth provisions concerning the authority of the Ombudsperson and interconnection monitoring by the Office. Makes conforming and other changes.

Amends the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Provides that leases of solar energy systems are exempt from the taxes imposed under the Acts.

Amends the Counties Code. In provisions about commercial wind energy facilities and commercial solar energy facilities, removes changes made by Public Act 102-1123. Provides that any provision of a county zoning ordinance pertaining to wind farms, commercial wind energy facilities, or commercial solar energy facilities that was in effect before January 27, 2023 may continue in effect notwithstanding any changes made in Public Act 102-1123 and, if applicable, any provision of a county zoning ordinance pertaining to wind farms that was in effect before August 16, 2007 may continue in effect notwithstanding the changes made in Public Act 95-203.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Changes the name of the Retail Electric Competition Article to the Retail and Renewable Electric Competition Article. Changes the name of the Retail Electric Competition Act of 2006 to the Retail and Renewable Electric Competition Act of 2006. Changes the name of the Office of Retail Market Development to the Office of Retail and Renewable Market Development and the title of the head of the Office from Director to Bureau Chief. Provides that the Bureau Chief shall have the authority to employ or otherwise retain at least 2 professionals dedicated to the task of actively seeking out ways to promote distributed renewable energy generation devices and community renewable generation projects in the State to benefit all State consumers. Provides that the Office shall actively seek input from all interested parties and shall develop a thorough understanding and critical analyses of the tools and techniques used to promote development and remove barriers to development of distributed renewable energy generation devices and community renewable generation projects. Provides that the Office shall take steps for interconnections involving distributed renewable energy resources, energy storage systems, utility-scale wind projects, and utility-scale solar projects, including interconnections to a distribution system or a transmission system. Provides that the Interconnection Working Group shall determine a single standardized cost for Level 1 interconnections, which shall not exceed $200. Provides that, in collaboration with the General Counsel of the Commission, the Office shall develop policies and procedures to facilitate employees of the Office in leading the Interconnection Working Group without interference with docketed proceedings. Provides that the Office may employ, designate, or otherwise retain the services of an Ombudsperson who is responsible for oversight of a utility's compliance with the certain rules and any other utility interconnection policies or procedures. Sets forth provisions concerning the authority of the Ombudsperson and interconnection monitoring by the Office. Makes conforming and other changes.