Competing energy legislation has been on the table but only recently have the parties come together to merge their proposals into one package. LWVIL Clean Jobs Coalition partners have been at the negotiations, working to ensure that the final version includes measures that work for all of Illinois - ratepayers, and the utility companies - and include strong Renewable Portfolio Standards for electric utilities, energy efficiency, and net metering provisions that allow a broad range of people to participate in clean energy initiatives.
Just before Thanksgiving, Coalition partners announced that the most egregious elements of the bill had been removed including subsidies for coal-fired power plants and demand-response pricing that would harm consumers and end run the Illinois Commerce Commission, responsible for overseeing electric rate increases. The League of Women Voters of Illinois applauds these changes.
Definitions
Energy Efficiency Standards: establish specific, long-term targets for energy savings that utilities or non-utility program administrators must meet through customer energy efficiency programs. (Source: American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy)
Net Metering: a billing mechanism that credits solar energy system owners for the electricity they add to the grid. (Source: Solar Energy Industries Association)
Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS): requires utility companies to source a certain amount of the energy they generate or sell from renewable sources such as wind and solar and establishes incremental targets with increases over time. (
Source: Solar Energy Industries Association)