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| Electricity Rate Deal Makes Illinois National Leader in Renewable Energy and Energy EfficiencyMedia release / media advisory / interview opportunity
Posted July 23rd, 2007 by elena
in
RE-AMP RoundUp from July 23 highlighted an electricity bill on the floor in Illinois. Shortly thereafter, the following press release was released: PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release For More Information: Electricity Rate Deal Makes Illinois National Leader in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Today, as Illinois lawmakers unveiled a long-awaited electricity rate bill, provisions in the legislation also make the state a national leader in standards for electricity created by renewable sources such as wind power, biomass and solar power. The bill also requires energy efficiency programs that will effectively stop the growth of electric use in the state. Each provision is among the strongest in the country, and together they will substantially reduce global warming emissions from electricity generation in Illinois. “Energy efficiency not only provides electric bill relief for Illinois customers, but as the bill savings compound, our environment gets cleaner and cleaner,” said Rebecca Stanfield, director of Environment Illinois. “Combined with the state’s first renewable energy standard, this bill represents a major step toward a smarter, cleaner energy future.” The bill requires that a quarter of the power procured for Illinois customers will be generated from clean, renewable energy by 2025. Illinois becomes the 22nd state to have goals for energy efficiency, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists. Only two states, Maine and Minnesota, have higher goals. The energy efficiency program ramps up to a target of reducing the load by 2% a year by requiring utilities to provide customers with assistance to reduce their energy needs through more efficient appliances, weatherizing their homes and businesses and other measures. The Illinois Senate unanimously passed these renewable energy and efficiency provisions earlier this session as the Affordable, Clean Energy Standards Act (S.B. 1184), championed by State Senator Don Harmon (D-Oak Park). “We are very grateful to Senator Harmon for tirelessly working to advance the cause of clean energy, and to Attorney General Madigan, Senate President Jones and Speaker Madigan for supporting clean energy during the rate negotiations” said Jonathan Goldman, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council. “It’s long past time that we embraced our home-grown clean energy resources to build a 21st century electric system for Illinois.” The energy efficiency and renewable energy provisions of the legislation would lower the amount of traditional electricity generation necessary to meet consumer load in Illinois by about 24%, saving consumers roughly $2 billion dollars per year by 2020. The renewable energy standard could reduce global warming emissions by as much as 15.8 million metric tons per year, while the efficiency standards would reduce global warming emissions by as much as 37 million metric tons per year. “While a rebate on electricity rates is always nice, the energy efficiency programs crafted by Senator Harmon and included in the compromise will provide both immediate and long-term savings to Illinois consumers and businesses by giving them the tools and resources to make smarter energy choices. said Alecia Ward, President of the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance. “The bill will also help to prioritize reducing peak power use, which is the most expensive electricity,” said Anthony Star of the Community Energy Cooperative. “This will have a big impact on consumers’ electric bills,” he continued. In an era of increasing electric rates, energy efficiency is the only way to reduce customers’ bills over the long term. Renewable energy resources will also allow the utilities to lock in stable prices for the electricity purchased from the sources. "Renewable energy is a win-win-win—it’s good for farmers, good for rural economic development and good for the environment," said Howard A. Learner, Executive Director of the Environmental Law & Policy Center. "We can now hit the ground running and become a national leader in renewable energy production within the next few years. That will bring thousands of jobs to the state, millions of dollars in rural economic development, and a cleaner environment for all of us.” However, the state’s leading environmental organizations also expressed concern that the bill allows the State of Illinois to build a new coal fired power plant that will create new global warming emissions. The power plant would not be required to use technology to capture and store carbon dioxide emissions, posing the threat that this plant could offset the environmental benefits of the renewable energy and energy efficiency measures. “In this day and age, to build a new coal plant without dealing with the carbon dioxide emission would be an almost unimaginable step backward,” said Goldman. “We are going to work to make sure that the state does make such a foolish decision as to move forward with the escape clause that this provision allows.” "These clean energy measures will help cut power bills long after we have spent this year's rebates, and they will make deep cuts in the pollution that causes ozone action days and leads to global warming," said Jack Darin, Director of the Sierra Club, Illinois Chapter. "The agreement is truly a win-win for our wallets and our health, and sets an example for America to follow as Washington prepares to debate future energy policies for our nation." ### Rebecca Stanfield |
