Environment

Creates the Powering Up Illinois Act. Defines terms. Sets forth findings. Requires an electric utility that operates within the State to (i) upgrade the State's electrical distribution systems as needed and in time to achieve the State's decarbonization goals, and implement federal, State, regional, and local air quality and decarbonization standards, plans, and regulations, (ii) conduct sufficient advance planning, engineering, and construction of increased distribution of system capacity by advance ordering transformers and other needed equipment so that customers can be energized without substantial delay, (iii) promptly energize new customers, including by ensuring that new housing, new businesses, and new charging for light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty vehicles and off-road vehicles, vessels, trains, and equipment can be used without delay caused by a failure of the utility to implement energization projects, (iv) promptly upgrade service when needed by customers, (v) allow customers seeking energization to choose an optional flexible connection agreement, which shall provide a tariffed, voluntary utility offering that requires customers to agree to specified service levels as a requirement of energization or interconnection through the use of demand response technology that limits the net import and export of electricity at the point of common coupling to remain within the rated capacity limits of a customer's existing service connection or distribution circuit, either on a permanent basis or to allow for immediate project operations before service or distribution system upgrades are completed, and (vi) recruit, train, and retain an adequately sized and qualified workforce to carry out the planning, engineering, and construction of electrical distribution systems needed to promptly serve customers seeking energization and service upgrades without sacrificing other necessary activities of the workforce. Sets forth provisions concerning: the staffing of an electrification team; electric utility requirements; recovery of costs; and safety standards. Effective immediately.

Amends the Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Act. Provides that a distressed location project that is located within a distressed community shall be eligible for assistance of up to 100% for the acquisition of open space lands and for capital development and improvement proposals that are in conformity with the purposes of the Act. Specifies that a project that is located within a distressed community, regardless of whether the project is located within a distressed location, is eligible for assistance up to 90% for the acquisition of open space lands and for capital development and improvement proposals that are in conformity with the purposes of the Act. Provides that a distressed location project that is not located in a distressed community shall be eligible for assistance of up to 75% for the acquisition of open space lands and for capital development and improvement proposals that are in conformity with the purposes of the Act. Directs the Department of Natural Resources to prioritize the making of grants under the Act for projects that are located in distressed locations and distressed communities. Sets limits on the appropriated amounts that may be used for grants to distressed communities and distressed locations. Repeals a provision that required the Department of Natural Resources to prepare a Distressed Local Government Report. Repeals provisions that define terms. Adds other definitions. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Grants emergency rulemaking powers to the Department of Natural Resources.

Amends the Energy Efficient Building Act. In provisions concerning the Illinois Stretch Energy Code, changes the date by which the Capital Development Board shall create and adopt a stretch energy code with a site energy index no greater than 40% of the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code from December 31, 2025 to December 31, 2026. Changes the date that the Board shall create and adopt a stretch energy code with a site energy index that is no greater than 33% of the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code from no later than December 31, 2028 to no later than December 31, 2029. Changes the date by which the Board shall create and adopt a stretch energy code with a site energy index no greater than 25% of the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code from no later than December 31, 2031 to no later than December 31, 2032.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. In a provision concerning the conditions for payment from the Underground Storage Tank Fund, provides that, in the case of any approved plan and budget for which payment is being sought, the Environmental Protection Agency shall make a payment determination within 120 days of receipt of both the complete application for payment and the report documenting completion of the activities approved in the plan, whichever is received later (rather than within 120 days after receipt of the application). Provides that, for underground storage tank releases reported before June 8, 2010, an owner or operator may access the Underground Storage Tank Fund for costs that are associated with an Agency-approved plan and that are incurred after the effective date of the amendatory Act after application of a $10,000 deductible (now, other deductibles are owed in some circumstances). Provides that the deductible shall be reduced by any deductible amount applied to costs incurred before the effective date of the amendatory Act.

Amends the Department of Agriculture Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Directs the Department of Agriculture to study: (1) the specific actions that can be taken and the practices that can be implemented to mitigate the impacts of drought and climate change on agriculture in the State; (2) the costs, benefits, and feasibility of establishing and implementing financial and technical assistance programs to mitigate the impacts of drought and climate change on agricultural producers in the State; (3) the costs, benefits, and feasibility of using agricultural land management to realize greenhouse gas reductions and maximize carbon sequestration opportunities in the State; (4) the costs, benefits, and feasibility of using floatovoltaics in State waterways; and (5) the costs, benefits, and feasibility of establishing within the Department an Agricultural Drought and Climate Resilience Office for the purpose of providing agricultural producers with the voluntary technical assistance, nonregulatory programs, and incentives necessary to harden the State's agricultural sector to the coming impacts of drought and climate change. Allows the Department to enter into a contract or grant agreement with one or more organizations or institutions with expertise in environmental and agricultural issues for the purpose of completing the tasks delegated to the Department in these provisions. Authorizes the Department, in conducting the required cost-benefit analyses, to take into account the value of ecosystem services. Directs the Department to report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly within 2 years after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Effective immediately.

Authorizes the Director of Central Management Services to execute and deliver a quit claim deed for specified real property in Will County to the Forest Preserve District of Will County upon the payment of $1, subject to specified conditions. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Hydraulic Fracturing Tax Act. Provides that 80% of the moneys received under the Act on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act shall be paid into the Pension Stabilization Fund and 20% of those moneys shall be paid into the Carbon Dioxide Pipeline Fund. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Carbon Dioxide Pipeline Fund. Provides that moneys in the Fund shall be used by the Illinois Commerce Commission to supervise and regulate the operations of the carbon dioxide pipeline industry in Illinois. Effective immediately.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that a community water supply reporting more than 99,999 lead service lines in its final inventory and replacement plan shall replace all lead service lines, at an annual rate of no less than 2% of the amount described in the final inventory, with a timeline of up to 35 years (rather than 50 years) for completion.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Creates the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure program. Provides that the Department of Agriculture shall provide grants to petroleum marketers, petroleum terminal operators, and any other companies that the Department of Agriculture determines are eligible for grant funding. Provides that eligible expenditures include tank modifications, tanks, piping, and fuel dispensers. Provides that an eligible grant recipient shall not receive more than $1,000,000 in grant funding. Provides that no funding under the program shall be made available to a public body. Creates the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Provides that, from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2026, the Comptroller shall order transferred, and the Treasurer shall transfer, $3,000,000 each calendar quarter from the Underground Storage Tank Fund to the Renewable Fuel Infrastructure Fund, unless the Underground Storage Tank Fund has a balance at or below $75,000,000. Creates the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Task Force. Sets forth membership and duties of the Task Force. Amends the State Finance Act to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.

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.