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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The 97th Illinois General Assembly passed Senate
3Bill 1533 and House Bill 691 with super-majority votes in both
4legislative chambers; Senate Bill 1533 became law on July 13,
52011 as Public Act 97-96, and House Bill 691 became law on
6December 8, 2011 as Public Act 97-630; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Public Act 97-96 set forth a detailed framework
8for the development of a clean coal brownfield facility,
9commonly known as the Chicago Clean Energy project, that
10included a provision requiring the Illinois Commerce
11Commission to approve the final sourcing agreements between the
12Chicago Clean Energy project and gas utilities for the purchase
13of substitute natural gas; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Public Act 97-630 was enacted as "trailer
15legislation" to Public Act 97-96 with the intent to: (1)
16address statutorily unauthorized early termination provisions
17that had been included in the final draft sourcing agreements
18transmitted to the Illinois Commerce Commission by the Illinois
19Power Agency; and (2) clarify the limited role of the Illinois
20Commerce Commission in approving the final sourcing agreements
21between the Chicago Clean Energy project and gas utilities; and
 
22    WHEREAS, Pursuant to Public Act 97-630, the Illinois

 

 

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1Commerce Commission in reviewing and approving sourcing
2agreements was only to: (1) fill in the blanks in the final
3draft sourcing agreement based upon the previously established
4capital costs, operations and maintenance costs, and the rate
5of return for the Chicago Clean Energy project; (2) remove 2
6statutorily unauthorized early termination provisions from the
7final draft sourcing agreement; and (3) correct typographical
8and scrivener's errors; and
 
9    WHEREAS, No statutory authority was given to the Illinois
10Commerce Commission to modify the terms of the final draft
11sourcing agreement or impose other obligations upon the Chicago
12Clean Energy project beyond the limitations set forth in Public
13Acts 97-96 and 97-630; and
 
14    WHEREAS, The Illinois Appellate and Supreme Courts have
15consistently held that, because administrative agencies are
16creatures of statute, they possess only those powers expressly
17delegated by law, and they may not act beyond their statutorily
18delegated authority; and
 
19    WHEREAS, The Illinois Appellate and Supreme Courts have
20consistently held that public policy in Illinois is expressed
21by the General Assembly, and it is not the province of an
22administrative agency to inquire into the wisdom and propriety
23of the legislature's act or to substitute its own judgment for

 

 

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1that of the legislature; therefore, be it
 
2    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL
3ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we express serious
4concerns that the Illinois Commerce Commission Order entered on
5January 10, 2012 in Docket No. 11-0710: (1) modifies the final
6draft sourcing agreement with respect to recovery of costs
7despite the Commission lacking statutory authority to do so and
8despite the statutory language and legislative intent of Public
9Act 97-96 to provide full cost recovery to the Chicago Clean
10Energy project; (2) fails to delete one of the 2 provisions for
11early termination that were contained in the final draft
12sourcing agreements submitted to the Commission by the Illinois
13Power Agency; and (3) imposes an obligation to secure a
14third-party guarantee that is contemplated nowhere in statute,
15that exceeds the limited role envisioned for the Commission,
16and that is in addition to the substantial consumer protections
17already set forth in the statutory framework for the Chicago
18Clean Energy project; and be it further
 
19    RESOLVED, That we urge that the Illinois Commerce
20Commission rehear the matter and, upon rehearing, the
21Commissioners of the Illinois Commerce Commission reach a
22decision that reflects statutory directives and the intent of
23the Illinois General Assembly in passing Public Acts 97-96 and
2497-630; and be it further
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
2delivered to the Commissioners of the Illinois Commerce
3Commission, the Director of the Illinois Power Agency, and the
4Governor.