Environment

Amends the Nuclear Safety Law of 2004. Provides that the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security has the right to enter on public and private property in order to take environmental samples in response to a disaster that causes radioactive contamination. Effective immediately.

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 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. Provides that no person shall use, or cause or allow the use of, any site on which a former waste disposal operation is located in a manner that is inconsistent with the closure of the waste disposal operation. Lists prohibited uses.

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. Provides that the Underground Storage Tank Fund shall be accessible by owners and operators who intend to remove underground storage tanks installed over 30 years before removal if the eligibility requirements of specified provisions are satisfied and (1) neither the owner nor the operator is the United States Government; (2) the tank does not contain fuel which is exempt from the Motor Fuel Tax Law; (3) the costs were incurred as a result of removing an underground storage tank installed over 30 years prior to removal; (4) the owner or operator registered the tank and paid all fees in accordance with the statutory and regulatory requirements of the Gasoline Storage Act; (5) the owner or operator notified the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the Office of the State Fire Marshal of the owner's or operator's intent to remove the underground storage tank; and (6) the costs have not already been paid to the owner or operator under a private insurance policy, other written agreement, or court order.

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.

Creates the Electric Transmission Facilities Siting Act. Defines terms. Requires that, in the siting of new electric transmission facilities, available corridors be used in the following order of priority: (1) existing public utility corridors; (2) highway corridors; and (3) new corridors. Provides that a public utility or developer may construct, place, or maintain a high-voltage electric service line on a public right-of-way or along a highway if (i) the public utility or developer submits a colocation request for the high-voltage electric service line to the Secretary of Transportation and (ii) the Secretary reviews and approves the colocation request. Requires a public utility or developer to develop a constructability report in consultation with the Department of Transportation and requires the public utility or developer and the Department to follow the terms and conditions of the constructability report during the planning and approval process for the siting of a high-voltage electric service line. Sets forth requirements for the content of the constructability report. Amends the Public Utilities Act. In provisions concerning distributed generation rebates, provides that the owner or operator of distributed generation that, before January 1, 2025 (rather than before the threshold date), is eligible for net metering under the Act may apply for a base rebate for an associated energy storage device behind the same retail customer meter as the distributed generation, regardless of whether the distributed generation applies for a rebate for the distributed generation device. Provides that, after the threshold date, a stand-alone energy storage system that is neither paired with distributed generation nor with any electric load beyond the electric load that is used by the energy storage system itself (rather than a stand-alone energy storage system) shall be compensated with a rebate of $250 per kilowatt-hour of nameplate capacity. Amends the Environmental Protection Act. In provisions concerning greenhouse gases, provides that the Environmental Protection Agency and the Illinois Power Agency shall file a plan to reduce or delay certain emissions reductions requirements with the Illinois Commerce Commission for review in conjunction with the integrated resource plan under certain provisions of the Public Utilities Act. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that no person shall use, or cause or allow the use of, any site on which a former waste disposal operation is located in a manner that is inconsistent with the closure of the waste disposal operation. Lists prohibited uses.

Creates the Illinois Appliance Standards Act. Directs the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to adopt minimum efficiency standards for covered products. Provides for testing, certification, and labeling of covered products. Contains provisions concerning enforcement of the Act's requirements. Provides for administrative rulemaking by the Agency. Makes findings. Defines terms.