September 15 marked five years since Governor JB Pritzker signed the controversial Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), which put Illinois on a state-mandated path to phase out fossil-fuel power generation.
In the years since its passage, Senator Jacobs (formerly Rep 118th district) has raised concerns about whether Illinois is moving too quickly to take dependable generation offline without having enough replacement power ready to meet demand. Those concerns have grown as families and businesses face higher energy costs and Illinois moves closer to CEJA deadlines that will require additional generating units to either meet zero-emissions requirements or shut down completely.
Senator Jacobs says removing dependable generation from the grid threatens reliability, puts jobs at risk and leaves families and businesses vulnerable to even higher energy costs.
To address those concerns, Senate Republicans have proposed several measures aimed at changing the state's current course and placing a greater emphasis on affordability and reliability.
- Senate Bill 3970 and Senate Bill 3979, which require thorough studies and reviews of customer bill rate hikes before large-scale gas to electric transition projects are approved.
- Senate Bill 3929 saves customers hundreds of millions in rate reductions, which extends closure dates set in CEJA for power plants by 10 additional years.
- Senate Bill 4028, which modernizes outdated interconnection rules that contribute to project delays and inconsistent upgrade costs.
As Illinois families continue to feel pressure from rising energy costs, Senator Jacobs says lawmakers should use the upcoming veto session to address growing concerns about affordability and reliability. With major CEJA deadlines drawing closer, he says the state cannot afford to wait until reliability problems become more severe or costs climb even higher.
