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Looks like there’s now a deal on climate/energy bill
Thursday, Sep 9, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller * Background on today’s action can be found here and here. House Democrats are being briefed on a climate/energy bill agreement hammered out this afternoon at the insistence of Speaker Chris Welch between the unions, the governor’s office and Rep. Jay Hoffman. The language is a little involved, but, as I understand it, the huge coal-fired Prairie State power plant must hit a 45 percent carbon reduction target by 2035. If it misses the target, it has three more years to hit the target or close one of its two generation units by 2038. The whole plant goes offline in 2045 unless there is a 100 percent reduction in emissions. The $20 million a year for ten years to help finance decarbonization which was in an earlier proposal is now out. And I’m told the enviros are now on board. * The House had teed up the bill for debate, but then both parties decided to caucus. An earlier version passed out of committee this afternoon. …Adding… At the moment, House Democratic opponents include (but may not be limited to) Reps. Tarver, Crespo, Cassidy and Flowers. One other that I know of is said to be on the fence. But the greens claim they have four Republican votes, so, if that’s true, the proponents will have just enough to pass a bill.
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- Deja Vu - Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 3:46 pm:
This deal was on the table nine days ago. Glad they’ve now done it, but this is just an acceptance of reality since about 1/2 the plant will be going offline in 2035 when dozens of municipal contracts expire.
- sladay - Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 3:47 pm:
I definitely understand that the horse trading is necessary to get this across the finish line but it’s nonetheless nerve-racking for those of us that live near Byron and Dresden where a shutdown would have great effect.
- Oxfordian - Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 3:47 pm:
Sheesh. End it already.
- 47th Ward - Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 3:48 pm:
Did the check from Advocates for Reliable Energy clear yet?
- irony is fun - Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 3:48 pm:
== This deal was on the table nine days ago. ==
That’s a lifetime ago. Different parties were negotiating then.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 3:50 pm:
47th, no.
- Merica - Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 3:52 pm:
Watching the energy policy of a State of 12 million people, be completely controlled by two regions with a total of 122,000 people, of which less than 2,000 would have their employment impacted, is a sight to behold.
No-one is interested in the thousands of people with asthma, the thousands of premature children born, or the hundreds of million in additional healthcare costs that are socialized by society.
Congrats to the coal lobby for winning this fight. You can now rest easy for a couple decades and fight again in 2040
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 3:53 pm:
===This deal was on the table nine days ago===
False. The Senate’s proposal used lots of “offsets” to get to 95 percent reduction.
- RichieCago - Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 4:01 pm:
The state of Illinois government is so dysfunctional there are now squabbling about potentially shutting down one power plant 14-17 years from now while in five days another plant hangs in the balance.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 4:03 pm:
===dysfunctional there are now squabbling===
Can you even read? The squabbling is over.
- SpiDem - Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 4:05 pm:
Just curious — is CWLP part of the same deal, or does it only apply to Prairie State? Does anyone know?
- Blue Dog - Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 4:18 pm:
A few days ago we talked about how legislation never seems to be forever(or can be). This enables an abrupt 180, if, in 2045, there aren’t good options available. I like. I hold out the Chinese will develop some reliable carbon sequestration by then. Snark heavy.
- Ok - Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 4:18 pm:
Al is not smart.
Read the bill.
- Happy - Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 4:24 pm:
The deal on the table 9 days ago was better, regardless of what the Governor’s office says. But understanding that would require reading and understanding science and regulations and finance and…oh never mind. It’s easier to demagogue.
- VerySmallRocks - Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 4:25 pm:
DejaVu, nice tidbit on muni contract expiration in 2035. Wonder if some will try to exit sooner as better deals are out there, renewable sourced, or not?
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 4:28 pm:
===Wonder if some will try to exit sooner===
Don’t think they can. They locked themselves in tight on a deal that looked too good to be true because it was.
Monorail [exclamation point]
- Ok - Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 4:29 pm:
Monorail
- sladay - Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 4:55 pm:
==but the greens claim they have four Republican votes, so, if that’s true, the proponents will have just enough to pass a bill.==
Is Chesney and Demmer two of them? as the Byron plant is in Chesney’s and the town is in Demmer’s.
- Phew - Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 5:30 pm:
The $20 million a year charged to ratepayers for no reason except that they could is gone. Good!
- JS Mill - Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 5:38 pm:
=Is Chesney and Demmer two of them? as the Byron plant is in Chesney’s and the town is in Demmer’s.=
That is what I heard and McCombie as well. She stated that to a group shec presented to yesterday and I was in attendance and heard her say so.
- Southern Skeptic - Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 7:25 pm:
Rich is correct. There is no wiggling out of it.
What rich is not correct about is the deal on the table nine days ago. There were no offsets. From the senate amendment:
“ h) All public GHG-emitting units that use coal as a fuel source shall reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 105% of the unit’s 2021 annual carbon emission amount. At least 95% of the carbon dioxide emission reductions shall be attained through carbon capture and sequestration or unit retirement by 2045. The remainder of the total carbon dioxide emission reductions required by this subsection by 2045 and thereafter shall be attained through direct air carbon capture or any other available technology proven to directly remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.”
- Solar Nerd - Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 7:32 pm:
Does the updated bill include a fix for the surplus previously-collected Adjustable Block Program funds that were slated to be released back to ratepayers on 9/1?
- Anon221 - Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 7:40 pm:
Solar Nerd- Easiest thing to do is a keyword “find” for that program in the bill- https://ilga.gov/legislation/102/SB/PDF/10200SB2408ham002.pdf
- Medvale School for the Gifted. - Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 8:42 pm:
TWBE
- Medvale School for the Gifted. - Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 8:48 pm:
New 52 week high today for Exelon.
- Grandson of Man - Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 9:31 pm:
Yay, it passed easily with 83 votes.
- low level - Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 9:32 pm:
Outstanding speech and big win for the Speaker.
- sladay - Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 9:35 pm:
Great job Mr Speaker. 83 votes is awesome.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 9:40 pm:
83, bipartisan.
Well done, all