Take action and tell your State Senators to support the Municipal and Cooperative Electric Utility Planning and Transparency Act and Solar Bill of Rights that are included in Senate Bill 3637. These policies will help thousands of Illinois public power ratepayers have a voice in their energy future.
Over one million Illinois residents are public power ratepayers who get their power from municipal electric utilities or rural electric cooperatives (co-ops). Unlike ComEd and Ameren ratepayers, public power ratepayers do not have the same access to clean energy benefits and programs, such as those in the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act. Public power ratepayers also have no voice in decisions about their power supply or their ability to invest in renewable energy systems. This issue impacts all of Illinois because these public power utilities own coal plants that are responsible for health harming and planet warming pollution. Fortunately, state legislation has been proposed to improve solar access, public engagement, and energy planning of municipal utilities and co-ops.
The Municipal and Cooperative Electric Utility Planning and Transparency Act will adopt policies that improve the transparency, energy planning, and governance process such as:
- Facilitation of public participation in decision-making and promotes advanced planning in furtherance of the state’s clean energy goals and decarbonization deadlines by instituting a triennial Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) process for municipal and cooperative utilities.
- Authorizes but does not require utilities to use an independent expert to complete the IRP process. If a utility chooses to rely on an Illinois Power Agency-selected expert, the IPA will cover 90% of that expert’s fees up to $200,000.
- Increases transparency of both the management and leadership selection in rural electric cooperatives by adopting policies that make it easier for members to participate in their co-op elections, similar to policy measures enacted by Colorado in 2021.
The Solar Bill of Rights will adopt policies and standards that allow all Illinoisans to reap the economic and environmental benefits of solar. Those policies include:
A legacy provision that permits solar owners to operate for 25 years under the solar policies applicable to their system at the time of energization.
- A standard solar penetration percentage determined by what muni/co-ops are contractually obligated to buy versus what their peak load is.
- Net metering credits reconciled on an annual basis.
- Prohibition on any insurance requirements that mandate that the utility be listed as an additional insured.
Now is the time to tell your Senators to empower municipal utilities and rural electric cooperatives and their customers to take advantage of a renewable energy future! Take action and tell your State Senators to support the Municipal and Cooperative Electric Utility Planning and Transparency Act and Solar Bill of Rights that are included in Senate Bill 3637.
