Energy

Urges for the support and passage of the federal Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act, which offers a permanent, national solution to allow the year-round, nationwide sale of E-15 fuel blends.

Creates the Residential Automated Solar Permitting Platform Act. On or before July 1, 2027, municipalities and counties with a population of more than 10,000 residents must adopt a residential automated solar permitting platform. Requires that the municipality or county anticipate that the residential automated solar permitting platform will have the capability to process at least 75% of residential solar applications on existing construction submitted to authorities having jurisdiction in the State. "Residential automated solar permitting platform" means software or a combination of software that automates plan review, automatically produces code-compliant approvals, accepts online payments for permitting fees if permitting fees are levied, and instantly issues permits and permit revisions for residential photovoltaic systems upon online submission of permitting fee payments, if permitting fees are levied, and a code-compliant application. Provides that a person or entity whose rights have been violated under this Act by a municipality or county is entitled to collect: (1) in the case of unlawful retaliation, all legal or equitable relief as may be appropriate; and (2) attorney's fees and costs. Makes other changes.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that a public utility shall freeze its monthly customer charge for low-income households at an amount equal to a percentage of the household's income that is no greater than the current percentage of income used to determine the amount of monthly credits administered to participants of the Percentage of Income Payment Plan under the Energy Assistance Act.

Amends the Illinois Finance Authority Act. Provides that the Illinois Finance Authority shall have power to issue revenue bonds for energy storage projects that seek State-level energy storage credits or utility cost recovery. Provides that the Authority shall coordinate with the Illinois Power Agency to ensure that the financing terms of the revenue bonds are structured to minimize costs to State ratepayers. In provisions concerning Clean Coal, Coal, Energy Efficiency, PACE, and Renewable Energy Project financing, provides that bonds issued by the Authority shall be limited obligations of the Authority and payable solely from the revenues and receipts derived from the energy storage projects for which the bonds are issued. Requires the bonds to contain on their face a certain statement. Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. In provisions concerning the Planning and Procurement Bureau, provides that an energy storage project shall not be eligible for the procurement of energy storage credits under provisions concerning the equity accountability system unless the owner or developer of the energy storage project demonstrates, as a condition of bid eligibility, that the energy storage project's long-term debt financing is secured through bonds issued by the Authority. Provides that the Agency shall not execute any procurement plan or enter into contracts for energy storage or renewable energy credits that would result in the average retail customer's bill exceeding cost-control caps set forth in certain provisions of the Public Utilities Act, unless the excess amount is approved by the General Assembly. Amends the Public Utilities Act. Requires the Illinois Commerce Commission to conduct an annual Energy Affordability and Rate Impact Study. Sets forth requirements for the content of the Study. In provisions concerning distributed generation rebates, provides that, if a Multi-Year Integrated Grid Plan or any subsequent integrated resource plan submitted by a utility or the Commission includes a proposal to increase, suspend, or otherwise exceed any existing statutory rate caps or cost-control benchmarks in certain provisions of the Act, such adjustment shall not take effect unless specifically approved by a joint resolution of the General Assembly. Amends the Environmental Protection Act by repealing provisions concerning greenhouse gases. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Sets forth procedures for the processing of interconnection requests from applicants for distributed renewable generation projects on public school land. Provides that, for all net metering credits or other credits owed to a customer who has elected to install a distributed renewable generation project on public school land, all credits intended for the benefit of the consumer must be credited by the public utility or retail energy supplier within 90 days after the public utility or retail energy supplier determines that the criteria for the credit have been met. Provides that the Illinois Commerce Commission shall adopt revisions to its standards for the interconnection of eligible renewable generating equipment and net metering credit rules to conform with the requirements of the provisions of the amendatory Act. In provisions concerning customer self-generation of electricity, provides that, for distributed renewable generation projects on public school land, any fees for interconnection applications charged by the electric cooperative or municipal system must be substantially similar to the fees charged by public utilities for the interconnection of the same or similar projects and must not exceed 150% of the cost of the base interconnection fees of the other public utilities. Effective immediately.

Amends the Homeowners' Energy Policy Statement Act. Provides that the Act applies to any building with a shared roof if (1) a solar energy system is located entirely within that portion of the shared roof owned and maintained by the property owner or (2) all property owners sharing the shared roof agree to install a solar energy system. Provides that the governing entity of a homeowners' association, common interest community association, or condominium unit owners' association may adopt for those buildings with a shared roof that are under its control and that are subject to the Act bylaws or other requirements that set standards regarding the installation, maintenance, and use of solar energy systems, including, but not limited to, regulations that require the governing entity to approve the vendor that will supply, install, or maintain the solar energy system and regulations that grant vendors exclusive rights to perform those functions. Provides that, when exercising powers over properties with shared roofs, a governing entity must act solely in the collective interest of the members of the association; must cooperate with property owners interested in installing, maintaining, or using a solar energy system on property under their ownership or control; and must not delay any request for a decision involving the installation, maintenance, or use of a solar energy system by an association member for more than 60 days. Provides that the failure of a governing entity to comply with these provisions renders voidable any bylaw or other requirement adopted by the governing authority pursuant to the provisions of the amendatory Act.

Amends the Illinois Coal Technology Development Assistance Act. Provides that certain amounts required to be transferred into the Coal Technology Development Assistance Fund from the General Revenue Fund shall be directly deposited into the Coal Technology Development Assistance Fund instead. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that certain tax checkoff amounts shall be deposited directly into the specified funds. Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Makes changes concerning certain fees imposed with respect to the sale of new or used tires. Effective July 1, 2026.

Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. Establishes the data center self-direct program to allow for customers taking service under the data center tariff to receive a reduction in the charges collected for the procurement of renewable energy resources. Provides that the reduction in charges available to the customer shall increase based on the energy or capacity value of the new additive clean energy generation's contribution pursuant to the specified requirements. Provides that the Illinois Power Agency may require that participating customers provide annual reports related to facility operation and performance, customer electricity consumption and load profiles, and other information as necessary. Amends the Public Utilities Act. On and after January 1, 2027, requires all data centers operating within the State and discharging water to a wastewater treatment plant to identify likely pollutants in the data center's water discharges to monitor the data center's water discharges for the likely pollutants and to maintain data on the pollutant levels in water discharges. Requires the Environmental Protection Agency to analyze and assess all data center water pollutant discharge level disclosure data. On and after January 1, 2027, requires all data centers operating within the State to maintain water consumption data to submit annual disclosures of the data center's water usage to the Department of Natural Resources. Requires the Department of Natural Resources to make an aggregated and anonymized form of data disclosed to it available on a publicly accessible website. Provides that data centers that fail to comply with any disclosure requirements under the Act may be subject to fines of up to $10,000 per violation. Requires the Department of Natural Resources and the Illinois Commerce Commission to adopt implementing rules. Requires a specified electric utility to, no later than 90 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act, make a filing with the Commission that proposes revenue-neutral tariff changes, which shall present the Commission with an opportunity to suspend the tariffs and consider revenue-neutral tariff changes related to rate design. Amends the Water Use Act of 1983. Makes changes in provisions concerning water conflict resolution and groundwater emergency restrictions. Sets forth requirements for data centers under the Act. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act, Energy Efficient Building Act, Illinois Power Agency Act, Public Utilities Act, and related statutes to establish comprehensive environmental, water, and energy regulations for hyperscale data centers. In the Environmental Protection Act, requires cumulative impact assessments, public notice, and community benefits agreements for data centers; prohibits nondisclosure agreements; and creates the Data Center Community Intervenor Compensation Fund and Hyperscale Data Center Public Benefits and Affordability Fund funded by annual fees based on peak demand. Mandates water resource planning, quarterly water usage reporting, water scarcity plans, and Water Impact Permits with public hearings and renewal every 5 years. Requires compliance with stringent energy codes and annual energy and water reporting to the Illinois Commerce Commission. Expands renewable energy procurement programs, establishes a hyperscale data center self-direct program, and strengthens equity, transparency, and labor standards in clean energy initiatives. Creates the Residential Automated Solar Permitting Platform Act to require municipalities and counties to adopt a residential automated solar permitting platform on or before July 1, 2027, and authorizes persons to file a civil action against a municipality or county in violation.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. In provisions establishing greenhouse gas emission reduction deadlines and requirements for electric generating units and large greenhouse gas-emitting units that use gas as a fuel, that are not public GHG-emitting units, and that are located within a specified distance of an equity investment eligible community, specifies that the equity investment eligible community must have been designated by the Restore, Reinvest, and Renew Program Board as of January 11, 2024 and must be located in an R3 Area established under the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act.