* Sen. Bill Cunningham…

I’m proud to represent the Chicago area’s working families and small businesses, which is why I introduced legislation that will help keep energy costs down and safeguard our future by modernizing the state’s energy grid.

Senate Bill 3959 is a critical solution that looks out for consumers and helps build the economy of tomorrow. My bill would prevent crippling energy rate hikes — an estimated $30 per month on electricity bills — while creating thousands of jobs, and ensuring we have a reliable and resilient energy grid that meets the needs of existing and future businesses in Illinois. […]

[I]mmediate legislative action is crucial because building large-scale energy solutions requires time. Illinois residents are already experiencing the consequences of projected energy shortfalls, as the July 2024 PJM Interconnection capacity auction caused an 833% spike in energy prices.

This surge is expected to raise power bills by up to $30 per month for millions of Illinois households in the PJM Interconnection region, which includes most of northern Illinois. My proposed legislation would tackle this issue by protecting consumers from unpredictable rate increases and offering incentives to accelerate the development of solar, wind and storage projects, creating a more diverse and reliable energy grid.

* SB3959’s synopsis…

Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. Authorizes the Illinois Power Agency to (i) conduct competitive solicitations to procure contracted energy storage credits sufficient to achieve certain energy storage standards, and (ii) request, review, and accept proposals, execute contracts, and procure energy storage credits. Requires the Agency to develop a storage procurement plan. Authorizes the Agency to develop and implement a firm energy resource procurement plan. Makes other changes. Amends the Public Utilities Act. Requires each electric utility to demonstrate sufficient resources devoted to interconnection. Requires the Illinois Commerce Commission to perform specified actions regarding interconnection within 90 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act. In a provision regarding virtual power plant programs, requires each electric utility serving more than 300,000 customers as of January 1, 2023 to propose an initial tariff within 60 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act. In a provision regarding peak remediation programs, requires each electric utility serving more than 300,000 retail customers as of January 1, 2023 to propose an initial tariff within 90 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Requires the Commission to establish a working group with relevant stakeholders to develop a stand-alone energy storage distribution deployment program. Provides that, beginning on June 1, 2024, the electric utility shall be entitled to recover through tariffed charges all of the costs associated with the purchase of energy storage credits to meet specified energy storage standards. Requires the Agency to prepare an energy storage resources procurement plan for the procurement of energy storage credits. Requires the Commission to establish an Office of Interconnection and Renewable Development, which shall (i) actively seek input from all interested parties and shall develop a thorough understanding and critical analyses of the tools and techniques used to promote development and remove barriers to development of the projects and devices, and (ii) monitor interconnection between electric utilities and applicants for interconnection and interconnection customers.

The bill, introduced in May 2024, has yet to move out of Senate Assignments.

* The Tribune…

While Cunningham’s bill is technology agnostic, if passed soon, it will most likely rely on lithium-ion batteries: the same type that runs cellphones, laptops and electric cars.

Their price has dropped 99%, and performance has increased fivefold over the last three decades as China produces them at a tremendous scale. […]

All the lithium-ion batteries in the world collectively hold 1 terawatt of power, or 1 million megawatts. That’s just enough electricity to power the U.S. at peak energy consumption for one hour. Meanwhile, Meng estimates reaching net-zero emissions will require 200 to 300 terawatts worth of batteries globally.

The United States’ battery capacity is only slightly above 15,000 megawatts, with Illinois clocking in at 100 megawatts. The bill aims to increase the state’s battery capacity to 8,500 megawatts, enough to charge 130 million laptops.

“It’s a very deep hole,” said [Mark Pruitt, the former director of the Illinois Power Agency]. A new analysis from the Union of Concerned Scientists estimates Illinois will need at least 3,000 megawatts of storage in the next five years and over 9,000 megawatts by 2035. […]

If Illinois’ proposed bill is passed, residents can expect a small fee on their bill for five years. Savings will kick in around year six, according to Pruitt, totaling a net reduction of $3 billion on utility bills over the first 20 years. That’s an average cost savings of $4 to $7 per month per family.

Thoughts?