Illinois Representative Will Davis (D-Hazel Crest) recently announced the Path to 100 Act, new legislation that expands Illinois’ renewable energy standards to drive new wind, solar, and storage development and bring the state to 100% clean energy.
The Path to 100 Act expands Illinois’ Renewable Portfolio standard to 40% by 2030.
Davis worked with an alliance of clean energy businesses to develop legislation that improves and expands on Illinois’ existing clean energy policies to drive more renewables, new jobs, and economic development.
“For the sake of our economy and our future, we need to get on the path to 100% clean, renewable electricity and we can start today,” said Davis. “The Path to 100 Act will achieve one of Governor Pritzker’s campaign goals while putting thousands of people to work, generating new investment in our state, and new tax revenues for local communities.”
The Path to 100 Act builds on the efforts of the Future Energy Jobs Act (FEJA) to increase renewable energy deployment across the state.
Under FEJA, several hundred megawatts of wind and solar renewable energy credits were procured including utility-scale wind, utility scale solar, community solar and residential rooftop.
“The renewable energy industry is ready to invest billions of dollars in our state and deliver the clean, homegrown energy our citizens want,” added Davis. “I intend for this Act to benefit our state equitably and spread the economic development dollars to Illinois communities throughout the state and especially those that are most in need of jobs and economic growth. I look forward to working with environmental justice, community and labor leaders to make sure the benefits of clean energy growth reach across Illinois.”
The Path to 100 Act, which will be sponsored by Senator Bill Cunningham (D-Chicago) in the Illinois Senate, will be introduced in the coming days, the key items of the bill are:
- Expand Illinois’ Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) from its current requirement of 25% renewable energy by 2025 to 40% renewables by 2030.
- Ensure sufficient funding exists to fully implement the Illinois RPS. Under current law, Illinois is falling significantly short of its renewable mandate – currently generating less than 7% of our power from renewables despite requirements for 16% in 2020.
- Drive procurement of an estimated 6,500 MW of new wind power, 6,000 MW of new utility-scale solar, 7,500 MW of new residential, commercial and community scale solar.
- Identify opportunities to pair energy storage with renewable energy development and create a statewide study to eliminate barriers for energy storage.
“Wind energy works for Illinois. There are nearly 6,000 wind energy jobs in Illinois and wind farms across the state generate between $10 to $15 million in lease payments to rural communities each year,” said Susan Sloan, Vice President, State Affairs, American Wind Energy Association. “This success story can only grow by adding more low-cost wind energy in Illinois, bringing more jobs, manufacturing and rural community benefits.”
Path to 100 is supported by renewable energy organizations and businesses working to create jobs in Illinois. For more information, visit click here.
Filed Under: News, Policy
