97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB3592

 

Introduced 2/24/2011, by Rep. Michelle Mussman

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act
55 ILCS 5/5-1063.5 new
65 ILCS 5/11-30-11 new
415 ILCS 5/40.3 new

    Creates the Grow Green Illinois Jobs Act. Provides that notwithstanding the provisions of any other Act, any State agency or unit of local government shall expedite permitting and approval for the siting and location of machinery and equipment used directly in generating electricity using fuel cells, low impact hydro, wind, geothermal resources, biomass, cogeneration, sun or landfill gas as the principal source of power within its jurisdictional or regulatory authority. Provides that in order to receive certification or approval for expedited permitting and approval under the Act, a person proposing to site a renewable energy project in the State shall meet the certain construction standards and conduct certain public workshops. Provides that issuance of a certificate or approval under the Act shall not be construed to preempt jurisdiction of any State agency or unit of local government over matters that are not included in and governed by the certificate, including, but not limited to, employee health and safety, wage and hour or other labor regulations, or other design and operational issues that do not relate to the siting of the renewable energy facilities. Provides that the provisions of the Act shall no longer apply on January 1, 2013 or, if an application for a renewable energy project in the State has been filed before January 1, 2013, until the application has been finally acted upon, whichever is later. Sets forth provisions concerning legislative intent and purpose and definitions. Amends the Counties Code, the Illinois Municipal Code, the Environmental Protection Act to make corresponding changes.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
HOME RULE NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning local government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Grow
5Green Illinois Jobs Act.
 
6    Section 5. Legislative intent and purpose. The purpose of
7this Act is to speed the creation of green jobs in Illinois by
8requiring local governments and the State to expedite permits
9for renewable energy projects. It is the intent of this Act
10that local units of government and State agencies expedite
11permit applications and provide for public meetings on these
12applications in an accelerated and timely fashion.
 
13    Section 10. Definitions. As used in this Act:
14    "Fuel cell" means an electrochemical reaction that
15generates electricity by combining atoms of hydrogen and oxygen
16in the presence of a catalyst.
17    "Landfill" means a landfill as defined in Section 22.6 of
18the Environmental Protection Act.
19    "Landfill gas" means biomass fuel of the type qualified for
20federal tax credits under 26 U.S.C. 29 collected from a
21landfill or gas recovered and processed from a landfill gas
22recovery facility as defined in Section 3.260 of the

 

 

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1Environmental Protection Act.
2    "Low impact hydro" means an electric generating facility
3utilizing water for the generation of electricity, housed in
4existing canals or existing reservoirs and having a power
5production capacity of 25 kilowatts or greater.
6    "Machinery and equipment" means industrial fixtures,
7devices, and support facilities that are integral and necessary
8to the generation of electricity using fuel cells, low impact
9hydro, wind, geothermal resources, biomass, cogeneration, sun,
10or landfill gas as the principal source of power. "Machinery
11and equipment" does not include: (1) hand-powered tools; (2)
12property with a useful life of less than one year; (3) repair
13parts required to restore machinery and equipment to normal
14working order; (4) replacement parts that do not increase
15productivity, improve efficiency, or extend the useful life of
16machinery and equipment; (5) buildings; or (6) building
17fixtures that are not integral and necessary to the generation
18of electricity that are permanently affixed to and become a
19physical part of a building.
 
20    Section 15. Expedited permitting and approval process.
21    (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other Act, any
22State agency or unit of local government shall expedite
23permitting and approval for the siting and location of
24machinery and equipment used directly in generating
25electricity using fuel cells, low impact hydro, wind,

 

 

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1geothermal resources, biomass, cogeneration, sun, or landfill
2gas as the principal source of power within its jurisdictional
3or regulatory authority. The permitting and approval of such
4projects shall be a priority of each State agency or unit of
5local government.
6    For purposes of this Act, machinery and equipment shall be
7considered to be used directly in generating electricity with
8fuel cells or by low impact hydro, wind energy, geothermal
9resources, biomass, cogeneration, solar energy, or landfill
10gas power if it provides any part of the process that captures
11the energy of the fuel cells, low impact hydro, wind,
12geothermal resources, biomass, cogeneration, sun, or landfill
13gas, converts that energy to electricity, and stores,
14transforms, or transmits that electricity for entry into or
15operation in parallel with electric transmission and
16distribution systems.
17    (b) In order to receive certification or approval for
18expedited permitting and approval under this Act, a person
19proposing to site a renewable energy project in the State shall
20meet the following requirements:
21        (1) Certify his or her will to construct, install,
22    operate, and maintain its facility in compliance with the
23    most current edition of the National Electrical Safety Code
24    published by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic
25    Engineers Standards Association. Projects shall be
26    constructed and operated in a manner to best accommodate

 

 

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1    the public and to prevent interference with service
2    furnished by other public utilities insofar as practical.
3        (2) Conduct informal public workshops at locations
4    along or near the proposed facility. The purpose of the
5    workshop is:
6            (A) to provide information about the project and
7        the process for obtaining construction authority;
8            (B) to allow the developer and State or unit of
9        local government to dispense information concerning
10        the renewable energy project application; and
11            (C) to advise interested persons on how to
12        participate in the State or local unit of government's
13        review proceeding.
14    Notice of the public workshops shall be issued a minimum of
1514 days prior to the workshop to newspapers of general
16circulation and radio and television stations in the affected
17area.
18    (c) Issuance of a certificate or approval under this Act
19shall not be construed to preempt jurisdiction of any State
20agency or unit of local government over matters that are not
21included in and governed by the certificate, including, but not
22limited to, employee health and safety, wage and hour or other
23labor regulations, or other design and operational issues that
24do not relate to the siting of the renewable energy facilities.
 
25    Section 20. Application. The provisions of this Act shall

 

 

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1no longer apply on January 1, 2013 or, if an application for a
2renewable energy project in the State has been filed before
3January 1, 2013, until the application has been finally acted
4upon, whichever is later.
 
5    Section 100. The Counties Code is amended by adding Section
65-1063.5 as follows:
 
7    (55 ILCS 5/5-1063.5 new)
8    Sec. 5-1063.5. Expedited permitting under the Grow Green
9Illinois Jobs Act. Notwithstanding any provision under this
10Act, any county shall expedite any permitting and approval
11required by that county for the siting and location of
12machinery and equipment used directly in generating
13electricity using fuel cells, low impact hydro, wind,
14geothermal resources, biomass, cogeneration, sun, or landfill
15gas as the principal source of power within its jurisdictional
16or regulatory authority if the person proposing to site a
17renewable energy project in the State meets the requirements of
18Section 15 of the Grow Green Illinois Jobs Act.
19    For the purposes of this Section, machinery and equipment
20shall be considered to be used directly in generating
21electricity with fuel cells or by low impact hydro, wind
22energy, geothermal resources, biomass, cogeneration, solar
23energy or landfill gas power if it provides any part of the
24process that captures the energy of the fuel cells, low impact

 

 

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1hydro, wind, geothermal resources, biomass, cogeneration, sun,
2or landfill gas, converts that energy to electricity, and
3stores, transforms, or transmits that electricity for entry
4into or operation in parallel with electric transmission and
5distribution systems.
 
6    Section 200. The Illinois Municipal Code is amended by
7adding Section 11-30-11 as follows:
 
8    (65 ILCS 5/11-30-11 new)
9    Sec. 11-30-11. Expedited permitting under the Grow Green
10Illinois Jobs Act. Notwithstanding any provision under this
11Act, any municipality shall expedite any permitting and
12approval required by that municipality for the siting and
13location of machinery and equipment used directly in generating
14electricity using fuel cells, low impact hydro, wind,
15geothermal resources, biomass, cogeneration, sun, or landfill
16gas as the principal source of power within its jurisdictional
17or regulatory authority if the person proposing to site a
18renewable energy project in the State meets the requirements of
19Section 15 of the Grow Green Illinois Jobs Act.
20    For the purposes of this Section, machinery and equipment
21shall be considered to be used directly in generating
22electricity with fuel cells or by low impact hydro, wind
23energy, geothermal resources, biomass, cogeneration, solar
24energy or landfill gas power if it provides any part of the

 

 

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1process that captures the energy of the fuel cells, low impact
2hydro, wind, geothermal resources, biomass, cogeneration, sun,
3or landfill gas, converts that energy to electricity, and
4stores, transforms, or transmits that electricity for entry
5into or operation in parallel with electric transmission and
6distribution systems.
 
7    Section 300. The Environmental Protection Act is amended by
8adding Section 40.3 as follows:
 
9    (415 ILCS 5/40.3 new)
10    Sec. 40.3. Expedited permitting under the Grow Green
11Illinois Jobs Act. Notwithstanding any provision under this
12Act, any State agency or unit of local government shall
13expedite any permitting and approval required for the siting
14and location of machinery and equipment used directly in
15generating electricity using fuel cells, low impact hydro,
16wind, geothermal resources, biomass, cogeneration, sun, or
17landfill gas as the principal source of power within its
18jurisdictional or regulatory authority if the person proposing
19to site a renewable energy project in the State meets the
20requirements of Section 15 of the Grow Green Illinois Jobs Act.
21    For the purposes of this Section, machinery and equipment
22shall be considered to be used directly in generating
23electricity with fuel cells or by low impact hydro, wind
24energy, geothermal resources, biomass, cogeneration, solar

 

 

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1energy or landfill gas power if it provides any part of the
2process that captures the energy of the fuel cells, low impact
3hydro, wind, geothermal resources, biomass, cogeneration, sun,
4or landfill gas, converts that energy to electricity, and
5stores, transforms, or transmits that electricity for entry
6into or operation in parallel with electric transmission and
7distribution systems.