Energy

Makes appropriations from the Illinois Power Agency Operations Fund, the Illinois Power Agency Renewable Resources Fund, and the Illinois Power Agency Trust Fund to the Illinois Power Agency. Effective July 1, 2025.

Amends the Renewable Energy Production District Act. Changes the definition of "renewable energy facility" to include, among other things, small modular reactors. Defines "small modular reactor". Effective immediately.

Amends the Energy Transition Act. Adds electrification industries to clean energy jobs. 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, 2025. 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. Effective immediately.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Creates the virtual power plant program. Defines terms. Provides that, within 60 days after the effective date of the amendatory provisions, each electric utility serving more than 300,000 customers as of January 1, 2025 shall propose one or more tariffs applicable to demand response technologies. Sets forth requirements for the content of the tariffs. Provides that the Illinois Commerce Commission shall approve or approve with modifications the tariffs filed by each utility within 240 days of filing. Provides that, not more than 6 months after 2 full delivery years of operation of the tariffs, the Commission shall issue a report to the General Assembly assessing the value and efficacy of the demand response virtual power plant program, including proposals for expansions or modifications. Provides that the Commission shall implement the amendatory provisions in a complementary manner with other virtual power plant programs under the Commission's jurisdiction in order to make the programs available to utility customers compatible for the benefit of the electric grid and to enhance electric service reliability. Makes other changes.

Amends the Counties Code. Provides that a commercial wind energy facility owner or solar energy facility owner must file a land reclamation plan and a recycling plan with the Department of Agriculture prior to the required public hearing on the siting of a facility. Provides that the land reclamation plan must outline how the property on which a facility has been constructed will be returned to the state the property existed prior to the construction of the facility upon removal of the facility. Provides that the recycling plan must outline how the material used to construct the facility will be recycled. Provides that a commercial solar energy facility may not be sited on property where the property's soil's crop productivity index is greater than 110. Effective immediately.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. In provisions regarding a certificate of public convenience and necessity, makes changes to the limitations on the construction of a nuclear power reactor. Provides that, beginning January 1, 2026, construction may commence on an advanced nuclear reactor (rather than a new nuclear power reactor with a nameplate capacity of 300 megawatts of electricity or less) within the State under specified conditions. Defines "advanced nuclear reactor". Makes other changes.

HB 3510 amends the existing Energy Efficient Building Act. The bill specifically modifies the adoption dates for "stretch energy codes," which are building standards designed to enhance energy efficiency. These codes incorporate "site energy index standards," likely metrics for measuring a building's energy performance. This legislation primarily adjusts the timeline for when these updated energy efficiency requirements will take effect for new construction and renovations.

Creates the Conservation of Energy in State Government Act. Requires the electrical lights in State buildings and facilities to be turned off unless: (1) the building or facility or that part of it is occupied; (2) the building or facility is open 24-hours a day; or (3) the lighting is required for security or safety purposes.

Creates the Utilizing Illinois Energy Resources Task Force Act. Creates the Utilizing Illinois Energy Resources Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall study methods the State can use to support and expand the use of natural resources in this State, including, coal, crude oil, and natural gas. Provides for the membership of the Task Force. Provides that the Director of Natural Resources may retain the services of outside parties with legal, engineering, and financial expertise to assist the Task Force in carrying out its duties. Provides that the Task Force members are not eligible to receive compensation or reimbursement of expenses. Provides that the Task Force shall file a report no later than December 31, 2026 with the General Assembly on all issues deemed appropriate by the Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall be abolished upon filing its report with the General Assembly. Repeals the Act on June 1, 2027. Effective immediately.

Creates the Utility Data Access Act. Requires the Illinois Commerce Commission to enact the following procedures: (1) a utility shall retain all consumption data for a period of not less than 2 years; (2) a qualified utility shall retain monthly consumption data used for billing for a period of not less than 15 years; (3) a utility shall honor an account holder's request to transmit the account holder's covered usage data held by the utility to any entity designated by the account holder; (4) a qualified data recipient with respect to a qualified building or qualified property may request that a qualified utility provide aggregated usage data for the qualified building or qualified property; (5) a utility shall deliver requested data on a schedule set by the Commission; and (6) the account holder request process and utility delivery of requested data shall be convenient and secure. Establishes requirements for: the Commission's participation in a stakeholder process; the form and timeline in which covered usage data is provided to the data recipient; entry of data into the benchmarking tool; and the provision of covered usage data to recipients upon account holder authorization. Provides that, except in cases where the utility has not followed processes established by the Act or the utility is grossly negligent, the utility shall be held harmless for third-party misuse of data shared under the Act and no cause of action may be initiated against the utility for such subsequent misuse. Provides that prior to filing for cost recovery, a qualified utility must first demonstrate good faith efforts to secure federal, State, or other relevant funding options. Sets forth provisions regarding funding for the Commission to carry out its responsibilities under the Act and the Commission selecting and engaging outside consultants with experience in benchmarking and utility data access. States findings. Defines terms.