Energy

Creates the Privately-Owned Carbon Capture Device Rebate Act. Establishes a rebate program administered by the Environmental Protection Agency for eligible purchasers of privately-owned carbon capture devices that use biological processes, including microalgae photosynthesis, for residential use. Lists eligibility criteria for applicants and devices. Provides rebate amounts and timelines, prioritizing low-income applicants. Requires ownership and residency conditions and sets limits on rebate frequency. Authorizes auditing and reimbursement for noncompliance. Imposes a 5% user fee on device sales to fund rebates. Creates the Privately-Owned Carbon Capture Device Rebate Fund in the State treasury and amends the State Finance Act to add the Fund. Grants rulemaking authority to the Agency and the Department of Revenue. Effective immediately.

Creates the Warehouse Pollution Reduction Act. Requires the Environmental Protection Agency to propose and the Pollution Control Board to adopt rules establishing a qualifying warehouse review program. Provides for reporting, recordkeeping, and notice requirements; annual emissions-reduction targets; and a system of points for air-pollution mitigation measures. Requires construction permits for new or modified qualifying warehouses and sets conditions for permit issuance, including zero-emission readiness and buffer requirements near sensitive receptors. Establishes a qualifying warehouse registry and requires public access to reports, notices, and permitting records. Provides for mitigation fees and directs their use in the same geographic area as the site of the qualifying warehouse. Requires the Agency to develop an air-quality modeling program and publish results annually. Creates the Warehouse Pollution Management Fund and provides for fee collection and deposit. Prohibits certain acts, provides civil penalties, authorizes enforcement and citizen suits, and allows recovery of attorney's fees. Limits home rule powers. Amends the State Finance Act to make a conforming change.

Amends the Counties Code and the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that a county or a municipality may not adopt or enforce an ordinance, rule, or other measure that would regulate the installation or inspection of a residential energy backup system, including on a building with a shared roof. Defines "residential energy backup system". Effective June 1, 2026.

Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. Provides that it is the policy of the State to rapidly transition to 100% clean energy by 2060 (rather than 2050). Amends the Public Utilities Act. In provisions relating to performance incentives and metrics for electric utilities designed to encourage those utilities to support and facilitate the State's clean energy transition, extends timelines by 10 years from existing statutory dates to allow for competitive market development and cost declines. Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that all electricity generating units and large greenhouse gas-emitting units that use coal or oil as a fuel and are not public GHG-emitting units shall permanently reduce all CO2e and co-pollutant emissions to zero no later than January 1, 2040 (rather than 2030). Further provides that All EGUs and large greenhouse gas-emitting units that use coal as a fuel and are public GHG-emitting units shall permanently reduce CO2e emissions to zero no later than December 31, 2055 (rather than 2045). Provides that if the emissions reduction requirement is not achieved by December 31, 2045 (rather than 2035), the plant shall retire one or more units or otherwise reduce its CO2e emissions by 45% from existing emissions by June 30, 2048 (rather than 2038). Provides that no later than January 1. 2050 (rather than 2040) all EGUs and large greenhouse gas-emitting units that have a NOx emission rate of greater than 0.12 lbs/MWh or a SO2 emission rate greater than 0.006 lb/MWh, and are not located in or within 3 miles of an environmental justice community designated as of January 1, 2021 or an equity investment eligible community shall permanently reduce all CO2e and co-pollutant emissions to zero, including through unit retirement or the use of 100% green hydrogen or other similar technology that is commercially proven to achieve zero carbon emissions.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Extends deadlines for reduced or zero carbon dioxide emissions by 10 years for EGUs and large greenhouse gas-emitting units that use gas as a fuel or that use cogeneration technology.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2027, an electric vehicle owner may register an electric vehicle with any qualifying registration, and an additional $320 surcharge shall be collected in addition to the applicable registration fee. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2028, the Secretary shall annually adjust the electric vehicle registration surcharge by an amount equal to the percentage increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index for the 12 months ending in March of the year in which the increase takes place. Establishes the Road Usage Charge Program to be implemented by Secretary of State to be used in lieu of the fees levied for electric vehicle owners. Requires the Secretary to adopt rules to implement the Program. Allows the Secretary to impose a penalty for failure to timely pay a road usage charge according to the terms of the Program or tampering with a device necessary for the Program. Provides that if enrolled in the Program, the owner of an electric vehicle shall: report mileage driven; pay the road usage fee for each payment period; and comply with all other provisions and other requirements of the Program. Provides that beginning July 1, 2027, the road usage charge rate is 1.5 cent per mile and the road usage charge cap is $320 for an annual registration. Requires the Secretary to annually adjust the road usage charge rate and the road usage charge cap by an amount equal to the percentage increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index for the 12 months ending in March of the year in which the increase takes place. Provides that revenue generated by the Program and relevant penalties shall be distributed in the same manner revenue from the motor fuel tax is distributed after covering the costs to administer the Program.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that, to assist and support the Illinois Commerce Commission in the development of renewable energy access plan updates, the Commission may retain the services of technical and policy experts with relevant expertise and experience. Provides that the procurement is exempt from the requirements of the Illinois Procurement Code. Amends the Illinois Procurement Code to make a conforming change. Effective immediately.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. In provisions concerning virtual power plant programs, provides that, in setting the values of upfront payment and performance payment compensation under the provisions, the Illinois Commerce Commission shall set values for eligible systems that include energy storage that are, taking into account the time value of money, not less than: (A) for an eligible system that did not receive and agrees not to apply for a rebate for its storage component under specified provisions, $250 per kilowatt-hour nameplate capacity paid on the date the system is placed in service; or (B) for an eligible system that received a rebate for its storage component under specified provisions, $0 per kilowatt-hour. In provisions concerning distributed generation and storage rebates, provides that, until the later of December 31, 2029 or the threshold date (rather than until December 31, 2029), the value of specified rebates shall be $300 per kilowatt of nameplate generating capacity, measured as nominal DC power output, of the distributed generation. Amends the Counties Code. In provisions concerning setback distances for commercial wind energy facilities or commercial solar energy facilities, specifies that the ability of a county to require a reasonable setback distance between fencing and public rights-of-way if the requirement is not specific to commercial wind energy facilities or commercial solar energy facilities and does not preclude the development of commercial wind energy facilities or commercial solar energy facilities or the ability of commercial wind energy facilities or commercial solar energy facilities to comply with the requirements set forth in the provisions shall not exceed 50 feet between fencing and public rights-of-way. Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. Provides that a "community renewable generation project" means an electric generating facility that, among other things, is limited in nameplate capacity to less than or equal to 5,000 kilowatts (rather than 10,000 kilowatts). Makes other changes.

Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. In provisions concerning the Planning and Procurement Bureau, provides that the total of renewable energy resources procured shall be reduced for all retail customers based on the amount necessary to limit the annual estimated average net increase due to the costs of these resources included in the amounts paid by eligible retail customers in connection with electric service to no more than 4.25% of the amount paid per kilowatthour by those customers during the year ending May 31, 2009 (removes provisions concerning an inflation adjustment). In provisions concerning the Energy Transition Assistance Fund, provides that the energy transition assistance charge shall not exceed 1.3% (instead of 1.45%) of the amount paid per kilowatthour by eligible retail customers during the year ending May 31, 2009. Removes provisions concerning an adjustment in the energy transition assistance charge for inflation. Effective immediately.

Creates the Make-Ready Infrastructure Rules Act. Sets forth findings. Defines terms. Provides that an electric utility shall propose a new rule, before the electric utility submits its next Multi-Year Integrated Rate Plan, that authorizes the electric utility to design and deploy all electrical distribution infrastructure on the utility side of the meter for all customers who have installed separately metered or submetered infrastructure to support electric vehicle charging stations, other than charging stations in single-family residences. Provides that an electric utility shall recover its revenue requirement for the design and deployment of such electrical distribution infrastructure through periodic Multi-Year Integrated Rate Plan proceedings or through other methods determined by the Commission by rule. Provides that the Commission shall require an electric utility to provide an accurate and full accounting of all the electric utility's expenses related to electrical distribution infrastructure and shall apply appropriate penalties to an electric utility that is not accurately tracking all expenses. Provides that the new proposed rule, once effective, shall be offered to customers as an alternative to the transmission line extension rules in place as of the effective date of the Act for electric vehicle infrastructure and any customer allowances established under the rule shall be based on the full useful life of the electrical distribution infrastructure. Makes other changes.