Environment (Climate Change)

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.

Amends the Department of Transportation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Requires the Department of Transportation, in consultation and collaboration with the Department of Central Management Services and the Capital Development Board, to develop one or more standards for State purchases of appliances, concrete, asphalt, steel, and other building materials, subject to appropriation or the award of grant funding for this purpose. Provides that in developing these standards, the establishment of a maximum acceptable Global Warming Potential standard, as well as ways to promote and facilitate the use of life cycle assessments and environmental product declarations, shall be considered when considering bids for State-funded infrastructure projects.

Creates the District Energy and Thermal Energy Storage Parity Act. Provides that the Illinois Commerce Commission, in consultation with Environmental Protection Agency, shall establish an optional certification process for Qualified District Energy Infrastructure. Requires the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a grant program to support certain projects. Provides that, within 180 days after the effective date of the Act, the Commission shall initiate a docketed proceeding to develop standardized thermal service agreement templates, suitable for developer financing and underwriting, and minimum requirements for customer rate stabilization options. Provides that a developer shall obtain a District Energy Feasibility Assessment from a qualified preparer for certain projects. Sets forth requirements for the content of the District Energy Feasibility Assessment. Amends the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Requires the Department to develop and make available to units of local government a municipal alignment toolkit to facilitate the development and expansion of district energy systems. Requires the Department to establish and administer a district energy expansion program to support the development expansion, modernization, and decarbonization of district energy systems in the State. Amends the Illinois Finance Authority Act. Provides that the Authority may provide loans, credit enhancements, interest rate buydowns, loan loss reserves, or other financial assistance for the development, construction, expansion, or operation of the Qualified Energy Infrastructure and Dispatchable Thermal Energy Storage. Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. Creates the Thermal Energy Storage Credit procurement program. Sets forth requirements for the program. Amends the Illinois Procurement Code. Sets forth provisions concerning district energy evaluation in State procurements. Amends the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Makes changes in provisions concerning exemptions. Amends the Property Tax Code. Defines "commercial energy storage system". Amends the Public Utilities Act. Sets forth provisions concerning district energy enabling measures and heat recovery incentives. Makes other changes.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. In provisions regarding greenhouse gases, deletes provisions requiring electric generating units and large greenhouse gas-emitting units that use gas as a fuel or that use cogeneration technology to permanently reduce all COe and copollutant emissions to zero by certain dates and makes conforming changes.

Creates the District Energy and Thermal Energy Storage Parity Act. Provides that the Illinois Commerce Commission, in consultation with Environmental Protection Agency, shall establish an optional certification process for Qualified District Energy Infrastructure. Requires the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a grant program to support certain projects. Provides that, within 180 days after the effective date of the Act, the Commission shall initiate a docketed proceeding to develop standardized thermal service agreement templates, suitable for developer financing and underwriting, and minimum requirements for customer rate stabilization options. Provides that a developer shall obtain a District Energy Feasibility Assessment from a qualified preparer for certain projects. Sets forth requirements for the content of the District Energy Feasibility Assessment. Amends the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Requires the Department to develop and make available to units of local government a municipal alignment toolkit to facilitate the development and expansion of district energy systems. Requires the Department to establish and administer a district energy expansion program to support the development expansion, modernization, and decarbonization of district energy systems in the State. Amends the Illinois Finance Authority Act. Provides that the Authority may provide loans, credit enhancements, interest rate buydowns, loan loss reserves, or other financial assistance for the development, construction, expansion, or operation of the Qualified Energy Infrastructure and Dispatchable Thermal Energy Storage. Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. Creates the Thermal Energy Storage Credit procurement program. Sets forth requirements for the program. Amends the Illinois Procurement Code. Sets forth provisions concerning district energy evaluation in State procurements. Amends the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Makes changes in provisions concerning exemptions. Amends the Property Tax Code. Defines "commercial energy storage system". Amends the Public Utilities Act. Sets forth provisions concerning district energy enabling measures and heat recovery incentives. Makes other changes.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Reverts provisions regarding greenhouse gases to the language existing before changes made by amendment under P.A. 102-662. Repeals a provision defining "clean energy". Effective immediately.

Creates the Climate Change Superfund Act. Creates the Illinois Climate Change Superfund as a special fund in the State treasury. Requires at least 40% of the Fund to be spent on projects that directly benefit disadvantaged communities facing climate change impacts. Directs the Environmental Protection Agency to adopt rules within one year, including regarding the apportionment of liability for climate change for payments into the Fund by responsible parties, regarding qualifying expenditures from the Fund, and regarding an Illinois Climate Change Superfund Program. Requires the Agency to establish procedures to challenge its determinations of liability for climate change and provides for judicial review under the Administrative Review Law. Makes findings. Defines terms. Provides that the Act is severable. Makes conforming changes to the State Finance Act.

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 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.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. In a provision establishing greenhouse gas emission controls, authorizes an electric generating unit or large GHG-emitting unit to continue operating if an emergency, pre-emergency, or conservative operations situation exists. Provides that no variance, adjusted standard, or other regulatory relief that is otherwise available under the Act may be granted from the Act's greenhouse gas emission controls if battery storage resources constitute at least 10% of the total State-installed generation capacity. Provides that, if battery storage resources constitute less than 10% of the total State-installed generation capacity at any time after the effective date of the amendatory Act, the Environmental Protection Agency shall delay enforcement of certain greenhouse gas emission controls. Directs the Environmental Protection Agency to adopt rules to implement these requirements. Defines "battery storage resource" and "total State-installed generation capacity". Makes other changes. Effective immediately.