KATIE STONEWATER
Executive Director
Energy Council
312-386-7795
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July 9, 2018
SPRINGFIELD
A quick Springfield update, the Governor has signed a few bills into law of interest to members.
SB2591
(Bennett/Meier), which established an Agriculture Impact Mitigation Act agreement with solar facilities.
SB486
(Currie/Harmon), which provides standardized property tax value for commercial solar energy systems, has been sent the Governor but not signed as of this writing.
HB3248
(Fortner/Althoff) a trailer bill to the e-waste program that passed last year and includes anti-trust language was signed into law. The passage of the bill allows for the manufacturer clearinghouse program created through the ewaste rewrite last year, to move forward.
HB4415
(Costello/Harmon) provides that the exemption for coal and aggregate exploration, mining, off-highway hauling, processing, maintenance, and reclamation equipment sunsets on June 30, 2023 (currently, the exemption is subject to the Acts' automatic sunset provisions).
Sent to the Governor, but not yet signed
:
SB3156
(Mitchell/Aquino), which requires that Compliance Commitment Agreements (CCAs) be posted online within 30 days after taking effect. Again, the Chamber learned of instances where companies that have entered into CCA's with the IEPA are being sued, despite the good faith effort of entering into the CCA and trying to resolve the issue. SB3156 would cause an increase in litigation on Illinois businesses. The Chamber is exploring alternatives to clarify this issue and meets with the bill's proponents this week.
HB4746
(Rose/Ammons) combines Senator Rose's previous bills that sets forth reporting and inspection requirements on natural gas storage facilities over the Mahomet Aquifer.
ILLINOIS COMMERCE COMMISSION
Price-to-Compare
The Illinois Commerce Commission Office of Retail Market Development (ORMD) is recommending that all regulated utilities and alternative retail suppliers display the Price-to-Compare (PTC) on monthly electric bills for residential and small commercial retail customers. Part of the ORMD's annual report, ORMD suggests the ICC also require that alternative retail suppliers list the PTC on solicitations and marketing materials. This recommendation comes after an end-of-session legislative effort to pass a bill that would have required the PTC be posted on all electric bills, among other changes to Illinois' electricity supply industry. That bill, SB1531, failed to pass the House. The ICC has said they are exploring ways to "get this accomplished".
Energy Storage Policy Session
Acting Commissioner Anastasia Pavilos held a policy session on energy storage in late June, examining Illinois' existing ability to encourage energy storage growth in Illinois; the benefits, opportunities, and challenges of the technology; and what other states, RTO's and the federal government are doing regarding energy storage. However, to attract energy storage growth in Illinois, most of the panelists spoke about a need to incentivize energy storage. Specifics were not given on the type of incentives or where they need to come from, but Commissioners seemed interested in exploring the topic further. More information can be found at the ICC website.
ICYMI: FERC TAKES ACTION ON PJM
CAPACITY MARKETS
In a surprise move, FERC ruled at the end of June that PJM's current tariff is "unjust, unreasonable and discriminatory" because it fails to protect competition in the region's wholesale capacity market from state policies that subsidize renewable resources and nuclear power. FERC rejected two capacity repricing proposals by PJM and one from the Independent Market Monitor, instead opening a new docket seeking an alternative approach. FERC is seeking PJM to "expand the minimum offer price rule (MOPR) for the resources seeking to participate in the capacity auction and implement a resource-specific fixed resource requirement (FRR) Alternative option, under which a resource receiving out-of-market support may remain on the system, outside of the capacity market." i.e. redesign and fix the capacity market in 60 days and it could be suggesting that subsidized resources must compete without the subsidies, or leave the market altogether. A good summary from Utility Dive is included here. What happens next could significantly change how capacity markets are conducted.
Comments
on FERC's proposal are due 60 days from June 29
th
, with 30 days granted for reply comments. The Commission intends to issue a replacement order by January 4, 2019, in time for reasonable planning for the next Base Residual Auction in May. Stay tuned.
67th Annual BP Statistical Review of World Energy - July 12 - THIS THURSDAY
The 67th Annual BP Statistical Review of World Energy is on July 12th in Chicago. This globally respected review of overall energy trends has been presented for the last 67 years and continues to provide high-quality, objective data on world energy markets. If you've attended before, you know this is a premier presentation you should not miss.
This year's event is hosted at the Illinois Commerce Commission in Chicago and will be live streamed to the ICC offices in Springfield.
When: Thursday, July 12th
11:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Presentation
12:15 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Informal Lunch Discussion
Where: Illinois Commerce Commission
160 North LaSalle, C-800
Chicago, IL 60601
Space is limited and RSVP is required.
RSVP HERE
ILLINOIS CHAMBER CYBER SECURITY CONFERENCE - JULY 24 - CHICAGO
Cybersecurity is an issue that impacts all of us, regardless of who we or what we do. The Illinois Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, is hosting its third annual Cyber Security Conference to bring together public and private entities to discuss policy and best practice in cybersecurity to help businesses be prepared for whatever the future brings.
Collaboration and communication between government entities and the private sector is essential to our success combating cyber threats. Featured speakers include NIST, Merit Labs, Baker McKenzie, the U.S. Security Service and more. For more information,
visit the conference website
.
SAVE THE DATE: ILLINOIS CHAMBER ANNUAL LUNCHEON - UNION PACFIC'S LANCE FRITZ KEYNOTE
Mark September 20, 2018 in your calendar to join us at the Hilton Chicago for the 2018 Illinois Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting. This fall Lance Fritz, the chairman, president, and chief executive officer of
Union Pacific Railroad
will keynote this exciting event.
Union Pacific Railroad is one of two western-U.S. railroads that connects Illinois agriculture and industry to the West Coast and international markets. In addition, their heritage traces back to Abraham Lincoln, who signed the Pacific Railway Act of 1862, setting the wheels in motion that eventually connected the Pacific to the Mississippi River by rail-a fitting story for Illinois' bicentennial celebration!
Sponsorship opportunities are available and we look forward to seeing you there!
ARTICLES OF INTEREST
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