Rep. Ann M. Williams

Filed: 3/8/2023

 

 


 

 


 
10300HB2875ham001LRB103 26364 SPS 58116 a

1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 2875

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 2875 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be referred to as the
5Thermal Energy Network and Jobs Act.
 
6    Section 5. Legislative findings and intent.
7    (a) The General Assembly finds and declares that:
8        (1) This State has a strong interest in ensuring that
9    emissions of greenhouse gases from buildings are reduced
10    because buildings are one of this State's largest sources
11    of greenhouse gases due to the combustion of fossil fuels
12    for heating, domestic hot water production, cooking, and
13    other end uses.
14        (2) The decarbonization of buildings must be pursued
15    in a manner that is affordable and accessible, preserves
16    and creates living-wage jobs, and retains the knowledge

 

 

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1    and experience of the existing utility union workforce.
2        (3) Thermal energy networks have the potential to
3    decarbonize buildings at the community and utility scale
4    and help achieve the goals of Public Act 102-662 (also
5    known as the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act).
6        (4) Thermal energy networks consist of pipe loops
7    between multiple buildings and energy sources, which carry
8    water and can be connected to by building owners to
9    support heating and cooling and hot water services.
10    Building owners can connect to the loops to support water
11    heating and cooling and hot water services.
12        (5) Many utilities in this State have been seeking to
13    develop thermal energy networks but have encountered legal
14    and regulatory barriers.
15        (6) This State has a strong interest in ensuring an
16    adequate supply of reliable electrical power and,
17    therefore, needs to promote the development of alternative
18    power sources and take steps to assure reliable
19    deliverability. Thermal energy networks are highly
20    efficient because they use and exchange thermal energy
21    from many underground sources and buildings, including
22    recycled thermal energy, which minimizes impacts on the
23    electricity grid.
24        (7) Access to thermal energy networks has the
25    potential to reduce the upfront and operating costs of
26    building electrification for customers.

 

 

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1        (8) A utility's access to capital, the utility's
2    experience with networked infrastructure in public
3    rights-of-way, and the requirement that the utility serve
4    all customers positions the utility well to develop and
5    scale thermal energy networks that are accessible to all
6    customers and to coordinate the development of thermal
7    energy networks with any orderly rightsizing of the
8    utility gas system.
9        (9) This State also has an interest in the efficient
10    and reliable delivery of energy and the energy
11    infrastructure of the State, which interest is
12    acknowledged throughout the Public Utilities Act. Utility
13    corporations and other power suppliers share these
14    interests and, moreover, have a duty to protect
15    proprietary interests in the projects they fund. Such
16    investments of ratepayer resources can be protected by
17    establishing effective contractor qualification and
18    performance standards, including requirements for
19    prevailing wage rates, bona fide apprenticeship criteria,
20    and project labor agreements.
21        (10) The construction industry is highly skilled and
22    labor intensive, and the installation of modern thermal
23    energy networks involves particularly complex work.
24    Therefore, effective qualification standards for craft
25    labor personnel employed on these projects are critically
26    needed to promote successful project delivery.

 

 

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1        (11) Finally, these findings are especially vital now
2    because the construction industry is experiencing
3    widespread skill shortages across the country, which are
4    crippling existing capital projects and threatening
5    projects planned for the future. The construction of
6    thermal energy networks will utilize many of the same
7    skills that the current utility and building trades
8    workforces already possess.
9    (b) It is the intent of the General Assembly that passage
10of this Act is for the following purposes:
11        (1) to remove the legal barriers to utility
12    development of thermal energy networks and require the
13    Illinois Commerce Commission, within 90 days after the
14    effective date of this amendatory Act of the 103rd General
15    Assembly, to begin to authorize and direct utilities to
16    immediately commence piloting thermal energy networks in
17    each and every utility territory;
18        (2) to direct and authorize the Illinois Commerce
19    Commission to develop a regulatory structure for utility
20    thermal energy networks that scales affordable and
21    accessible building electrification, protects customers,
22    and balances the role of incumbent monopoly utilities with
23    other market and public actors;
24        (3) to promote the successful planning and delivery of
25    thermal energy networks and protect critical investments
26    in such projects by requiring the use of appropriate

 

 

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1    quality craft labor policies that ensure the development
2    of and access to an adequate supply of well trained,
3    highly skilled craft persons needed to support timely,
4    reliable, high-quality projects;
5        (4) to promote strong economic development and good
6    jobs for local residents in the expanding decarbonized
7    sector by requiring application of progressive State labor
8    and employment policies that ensure public utility
9    investments and related State subsidies create
10    unparalleled skill training and employment opportunities
11    for residents in project areas through the use of local
12    prevailing wage standards and successful, bona fide
13    apprenticeship programs or project labor agreements that
14    incorporate prevailing wage and training standards and
15    provide additional benefits for project owners and
16    workers; and
17        (5) to promote the use of preapprenticeship programs
18    that will fortify and expand existing apprenticeship
19    programs through systematic outreach efforts to recruit
20    and assist persons from underrepresented and low income
21    communities by providing such persons with remedial
22    education, social services, and unique opportunities for
23    direct access into high-quality apprenticeship programs
24    and gainful employment in the growing building
25    decarbonization workforce.
 

 

 

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1    Section 10. The Illinois Power Agency Act is amended by
2adding Section 1-83 as follows:
 
3    (20 ILCS 3855/1-83 new)
4    Sec. 1-83. Pilot thermal energy network projects. No later
5than 3 months after the effective date of this amendatory Act
6of the 103rd General Assembly, the Department of Commerce and
7Economic Opportunity, the Agency, and a public utility shall
8submit for review to the Commission at least one and as many as
95 proposed pilot thermal energy network projects as described
10in Section 8-513 of the Public Utilities Act. Designs for the
11projects should coordinate and maximize the value of existing
12State energy efficiency and weatherization programs and take
13full advantage of federal funding opportunities. No later than
146 months after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the
15103rd General Assembly, and upon recommendation by the Agency,
16the Commission shall determine whether it is in the public
17interest to approve or modify such pilot thermal energy
18network projects and shall direct the service provider to
19implement such proposed or modified pilot thermal energy
20network projects. The Commission shall adopt rules consistent
21with the standards set forth in subsections (b) and (c) of
22Section 8-513 of the Public Utilities Act.
 
23    Section 905. The Public Utilities Act is amended by
24changing Sections 3-101 and 3-105 and by adding Sections

 

 

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13-127, 3-128, and 8-513 as follows:
 
2    (220 ILCS 5/3-101)  (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 3-101)
3    Sec. 3-101. Definitions. Unless otherwise specified, the
4terms set forth in Sections 3-102 through 3-128 3-126 are used
5in this Act as therein defined.
6(Source: P.A. 97-96, eff. 7-13-11; 97-239, eff. 8-2-11;
797-813, eff. 7-13-12.)
 
8    (220 ILCS 5/3-105)  (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 3-105)
9    Sec. 3-105. Public utility.
10    (a) "Public utility" means and includes, except where
11otherwise expressly provided in this Section, every
12corporation, company, limited liability company, association,
13joint stock company or association, firm, partnership or
14individual, their lessees, trustees, or receivers appointed by
15any court whatsoever that owns, controls, operates or manages,
16within this State, directly or indirectly, for public use, any
17plant, equipment or property used or to be used for or in
18connection with, or owns or controls any franchise, license,
19permit, or right to engage in:
20        (1) the production, storage, transmission, sale,
21    delivery, or furnishing of heat, cold, power, electricity,
22    water, or light, except when used solely for
23    communications purposes;
24        (2) the disposal of sewerage; or

 

 

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1        (3) the conveyance of oil or gas by pipe line; or .
2        (4) a thermal energy network.
3    (b) "Public utility" does not include, however:
4        (1) public utilities that are owned and operated by
5    any political subdivision, public institution of higher
6    education or municipal corporation of this State, or
7    public utilities that are owned by such political
8    subdivision, public institution of higher education, or
9    municipal corporation and operated by any of its lessees
10    or operating agents;
11        (2) water companies which are purely mutual concerns,
12    having no rates or charges for services, but paying the
13    operating expenses by assessment upon the members of such
14    a company and no other person;
15        (3) electric cooperatives as defined in Section 3-119
16    except to the extent that the cooperative is developing a
17    thermal energy network under Section 8-513;
18        (4) the following natural gas cooperatives:
19            (A) residential natural gas cooperatives that are
20        not-for-profit corporations established for the
21        purpose of administering and operating, on a
22        cooperative basis, the furnishing of natural gas to
23        residences for the benefit of their members who are
24        residential consumers of natural gas. For entities
25        qualifying as residential natural gas cooperatives and
26        recognized by the Illinois Commerce Commission as

 

 

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1        such, the State shall guarantee legally binding
2        contracts entered into by residential natural gas
3        cooperatives for the express purpose of acquiring
4        natural gas supplies for their members. The Illinois
5        Commerce Commission shall establish rules and
6        regulations providing for such guarantees. The total
7        liability of the State in providing all such
8        guarantees shall not at any time exceed $1,000,000,
9        nor shall the State provide such a guarantee to a
10        residential natural gas cooperative for more than 3
11        consecutive years; and
12            (B) natural gas cooperatives that are
13        not-for-profit corporations operated for the purpose
14        of administering, on a cooperative basis, the
15        furnishing of natural gas for the benefit of their
16        members and that, prior to 90 days after the effective
17        date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General
18        Assembly, either had acquired or had entered into an
19        asset purchase agreement to acquire all or
20        substantially all of the operating assets of a public
21        utility or natural gas cooperative with the intention
22        of operating those assets as a natural gas
23        cooperative;
24        (5) sewage disposal companies which provide sewage
25    disposal services on a mutual basis without establishing
26    rates or charges for services, but paying the operating

 

 

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1    expenses by assessment upon the members of the company and
2    no others;
3        (6) (blank);
4        (7) cogeneration facilities, small power production
5    facilities, and other qualifying facilities, as defined in
6    the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act and regulations
7    promulgated thereunder, except to the extent State
8    regulatory jurisdiction and action is required or
9    authorized by federal law, regulations, regulatory
10    decisions or the decisions of federal or State courts of
11    competent jurisdiction;
12        (8) the ownership or operation of a facility that
13    sells compressed natural gas at retail to the public for
14    use only as a motor vehicle fuel and the selling of
15    compressed natural gas at retail to the public for use
16    only as a motor vehicle fuel;
17        (9) alternative retail electric suppliers as defined
18    in Article XVI; and
19        (10) the Illinois Power Agency.
20    (c) An entity that furnishes the service of charging
21electric vehicles does not and shall not be deemed to sell
22electricity and is not and shall not be deemed a public utility
23notwithstanding the basis on which the service is provided or
24billed. If, however, the entity is otherwise deemed a public
25utility under this Act, or is otherwise subject to regulation
26under this Act, then that entity is not exempt from and remains

 

 

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1subject to the otherwise applicable provisions of this Act.
2The installation, maintenance, and repair of an electric
3vehicle charging station shall comply with the requirements of
4subsection (a) of Section 16-128 and Section 16-128A of this
5Act.
6    For purposes of this subsection, the term "electric
7vehicles" has the meaning ascribed to that term in Section 10
8of the Electric Vehicle Act.
9(Source: P.A. 97-1128, eff. 8-28-12.)
 
10    (220 ILCS 5/3-127 new)
11    Sec. 3-127. Thermal energy. "Thermal energy" means piped
12noncombustible fluids used for transferring heat into and out
13of buildings for the purpose of eliminating any resultant
14onsite greenhouse gas emissions of all types of heating and
15cooling processes, including, but not limited to, comfort
16heating and cooling, domestic hot water, and refrigeration.
 
17    (220 ILCS 5/3-128 new)
18    Sec. 3-128. Thermal energy network. "Thermal energy
19network" means all real estate, fixtures, and personal
20property operated, owned, used, or to be used for, in
21connection with, or to facilitate a utility-scale distribution
22infrastructure project that supplies thermal energy.
 
23    (220 ILCS 5/8-513 new)

 

 

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1    Sec. 8-513. Thermal energy network development.
2    (a) The Illinois Commerce Commission shall initiate a
3proceeding within 3 months after the effective date of this
4amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly to support the
5development of thermal energy networks. The matters the
6Commission shall consider in such proceeding shall include,
7but are not limited to, the appropriate ownership, market, and
8rate structures for thermal energy networks and whether the
9provision of thermal energy services by gas or electric
10utilities is in the public interest.
11    (b) The Commission shall adopt rules within 2 years after
12the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 103rd General
13Assembly to:
14        (1) create fair market access rules for utility-owned
15    thermal energy networks to accept thermal energy that
16    aligns with the Illinois Power Agency Act and that does
17    not increase greenhouse gas emissions or copollutants;
18        (2) exempt small-scale thermal energy networks not
19    owned by utilities from regulation by the Commission;
20        (3) promote the training and transition of utility
21    workers impacted by this amendatory Act of the 103rd
22    General Assembly; and
23        (4) encourage third-party participation and
24    competition where it will maximize benefits to customers.
25    (c) Within 6 months after the effective date of this
26amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly, each of the

 

 

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1largest gas, electric, or combination gas and electric
2corporations shall submit to the Commission for review and
3approval at least one and as many as 5 proposed pilot thermal
4energy network projects. In developing the pilot project
5proposals, at least one pilot project in each utility
6territory shall be proposed in a disadvantaged community, as
7described in the Illinois Power Agency Act, and if an electric
8cooperative, nonutility organization, or utility proposes 4 or
9more pilot projects, at least 2 shall be proposed in
10disadvantaged communities. At least one electric cooperative,
11nonutility organization, or electric utility pilot thermal
12energy network project shall focus on existing electric heat
13customers, and if a utility proposes 4 or more pilot projects,
14at least 2 shall be focused on existing electric heat
15customers. Each electric cooperative, nonutility organization,
16or utility shall coordinate with other electric cooperative,
17nonutility organization, and utility participants, the
18Illinois Power Agency, and consultants with expertise on
19successful pilot projects to ensure that the pilot projects
20are diverse and designed to inform the Commission's decisions
21in the proceeding on the various ownership, market, and rate
22structures for thermal energy networks. The pilot project
23proposals shall include specific customer protection plans,
24shall be made publicly available on the Commission's website,
25and shall be subject to a public comment period of no less than
2630 days. Within 6 months after the effective date of this

 

 

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1amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly, the Commission
2shall determine whether it is in the public interest to
3approve or modify such pilot thermal energy network projects
4and shall issue an order directing each gas, electric, or
5combination gas and electric corporation to implement such
6proposed or modified pilot thermal energy network projects. In
7considering whether pilot thermal energy network projects are
8in the public interest, the Commission shall consider whether
9the pilot project will develop information useful for the
10Commission's adoption of rules governing thermal energy
11networks, whether the pilot project furthers the climate
12justice and emissions reduction, whether the pilot project
13advances financial and technical approaches to equitable and
14affordable building electrification, and whether the pilot
15project creates benefits to customers and society at large,
16including, but not limited to, public health benefits in areas
17with disproportionate environmental or public health burdens,
18job retention and creation, reliability, and increased
19affordability of renewable thermal energy options.
20    (d) If an electric cooperative, nonutility organization,
21or gas, electric, or combination gas and electric corporation
22begins to develop a pilot thermal energy network project, the
23electric cooperative, nonutility organization, or corporation
24shall report to the Commission, on a quarterly basis and until
25completion of the pilot thermal energy network project, as
26determined by the Commission, the status of each pilot thermal

 

 

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1energy network project. The Commission shall post and make
2publicly available such reports on its website. The report
3shall include, but not be limited to:
4        (1) the stage of development of each pilot project;
5        (2) the barriers to development;
6        (3) the number of customers served;
7        (4) the costs of the pilot project;
8        (5) the number of jobs retained or created by the
9    pilot project; and
10        (6) any other such information the Commission deems to
11    be in the public interest.
12    (e) An electric cooperative, nonutility organization, or
13gas, electric, or combination gas or electric corporation that
14begins to develop a pilot thermal energy network project under
15this Section shall demonstrate that it has entered into a
16labor peace agreement with a bona fide labor organization that
17is actively engaged in representing its employees.
18    (f) Any contractor or subcontractor that performs work on
19a thermal energy network under this Section shall be a
20responsible bidder as described in Section 30-22 of the
21Illinois Procurement Code. The contractor or subcontractor
22shall submit evidence of meeting the requirements to be a
23responsible bidder as described in Section 30-22 to the
24thermal energy network utility.
25    (g) For any pending application for a thermal energy
26network, the contractor or subcontractor shall submit within

 

 

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130 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the
2103rd General Assembly evidence that the contractor or
3subcontractor has entered into a fully executed project labor
4agreement with the applicable local building trades council.
5The Commission shall not approve any pending applications
6until the contractor or subcontractor has submitted the
7information required under this subsection.
 
8    Section 999. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
9becoming law.".