Illinois General Assembly - Bill Status for SB2814

Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. Provides that the Illinois Power Agency Renewable Energy Resources Fund shall be used to purchase renewable energy credits, and used to create an Illinois Solar for All Program with incentives for low-income distributed generation, community solar projects, and solar job training programs. Requires the Planning and Procurement Bureau to include in procurement plans and competitive procurement processes the procurement of zero emission credits from zero emission facilities for the utilities' retail customers. Makes changes to a provision concerning the renewable portfolio standard. Provides that the procurement plans shall include cost-effective renewable energy resources equal to a minimum percentage of each utility's load for eligible retail customers and a fixed percentage of the applicable portion of each utility's load for non-eligible retail customers. Sets forth a zero emission standard. Provides that, beginning with the delivery year commencing on a specified date, the procurement plans shall include cost-effective zero emission credits from zero emission facilities in a specified amount. Sets forth provisions concerning the procurement process. Specifies that a renewable energy credit, carbon emission credit, or zero emission credit can only be used once to comply with a single portfolio or other standard and cannot be used to satisfy the requirements of more than one standard. Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that certain electric utilities shall include certain measures in their energy efficiency and demand-response plan which is required from each electric utility. Allows electric utilities to recover through tariff charges all of the costs associated with the purchase of zero emission credits from zero emission facilities and allows recovery of certain other costs provided that certain criteria are satisfied. Adds provisions concerning demand-based delivery services charges, a revenue balancing adjustment tariff, unbundling of charges related to electricity supply and regional transmission organization services, net electricity metering, distributed generation rebates, the microgrid pilot, and the energy low-income and support program. Requires the opening of a rulemaking proceeding to establish standards of conduct for certain electric utilities. Amends the Energy Assistance Act. Makes changes concerning the amount of a monthly Energy Assistance Charge. Allows utilities to implement a Supplemental Arrearage Reduction Program. Makes other changes. Provides for a severability clause. Effective immediately.

Amends the bill AS AMENDED by House Amendment No. 3. Removes findings related to the filing of tariffs. Further amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. Clarifies a reference to procurement processes. Provides that the definitions of "community renewable generation project" and "distributed renewable energy generation device" apply to municipal utilities that own or operate electrical distribution facilities (currently all municipal utilities). Provides for the coordination of procurement processes, and for the coordination of job training opportunities with job training programs. Provides that the initial forward procurements for renewable energy credits from solar and wind projects shall be conducted, regardless of whether a long-term renewable resources procurement plan has been approved. Provides for the qualification of renewable energy credits facilities located in other states, where resources are not available in Illinois. Further amends the Illinois Procurement Code. Adds a cross-reference. In a Section regarding energy efficiency and demand-response measures, moves language concerning the meaning of amount per kilowatthour for purposes of that Section, and modifies the language regarding megawatt hours and deemed electric power and energy sales along with the deemed value of cumulative persisting annual savings from implemented energy efficiency measures and programs. Provides that except as provided otherwise, annual increases in cumulative persisting annual savings goals during the applicable 4 or 5 year plan period shall not (rather than, in no event shall) be reduced to amounts that are less than the maximum amount of cumulative persisting annual savings that is forecast to be cost-effectively achievable during the 4 or 5 year plan period. Modifies language regarding the Commission's review of any proposed goal reduction based upon certain specified calculations. Removes language allowing an exception to an electric utility that serves less than 3,000,000 retail customers but more than 500,000 retail customers in the State, and does not achieve an applicable annual incremental goal. Requires that a utility issue a rebate under its tariff no later than 60 days after receiving a rebate application (rather than no later than 180 days). Changes the spending by an electric utility for a utility job training program from $10,000,000 per year over 5 years to $10,000,000 per year in 2017, 2021, and 2025. Changes the spending by an electric utility for a solar training pipeline program from $3,000,000 annually over 5 years to $3,000,000. Changes the discretionary goal for a utility to hire persons who are or were foster children and persons with a criminal record to a mandatory goal of creating 2000 jobs for those persons. Lowers the maximum length of a utility's apprenticeship program from 5 years to 4 years and funding multi-cultural jobs programs from a maximum of 5 years to 4 years. Further amends the Public Utilities Act. In the provisions for certification of installers, maintainers, and repairers also includes within the term "entities installing distributed generation facilities" any entity installing a new wind project or a new photovoltaic project as defined in the Illinois Power Agency Act. Creates a new provision for certifying the installation of energy efficiency measures by qualified energy efficiency installers. Makes other changes.

Adds the following provisions to the bill as amended. Amends the Public Utilities Act. In a provision concerning the Public Utility Fund, requires the Illinois Commerce Commission to make certain calculations related to the Public Utility Fund during the month of October of each year. Provides that if the Commission determines that amounts appropriated from the Public Utility Fund exceed the amounts in the Fund, the Commission may assess electric utilities and gas utilities for the difference between the amount appropriated for the ordinary and contingent expenses of the Commission and the amount derived pursuant to a tax imposed upon public utilities, and such proceeds shall be deposited in the Public Utility Fund in the State treasury. Provides that the Commission shall apportion that amount among those public utilities on the basis of each utility's share of the total intrastate gross revenues of the utilities subject to the tax. Provides that the required payments shall be made in the time and manner directed by the Commission. Provides that the Commission shall permit utilities to recover Illinois Commerce Commission assessments through an automatic adjustment mechanism that is incorporated into an existing tariff that recovers costs, or through a supplemental customer charge. Provides that within 6 months after the first time assessments are made, the Commission shall initiate a docketed proceeding in which it shall consider, in addition to assessments from electric and gas utilities, the raising of assessments from, or the payment of fees by, water and sewer utilities, entities possessing certificates of service authority as alternative retail electric suppliers, entities possessing certificates of service authority as alternative gas suppliers, and telecommunications carriers providing local exchange telecommunications service or interexchange telecommunications service. Provides that the amounts so determined shall be based on the costs to the agency of the exercise of its regulatory and supervisory functions with regard to the different industries and service providers subject to the proceeding. Provides that no less often than every 3 years after the end of a proceeding, the Commission shall initiate another proceeding for that purpose. Provides that the Commission may use this apportionment method until the docketed proceeding in which the Commission considers the raising of assessments from other entities subject to its jurisdiction under this Act has concluded. Provides that no credit memoranda shall be issued pursuant to another provision of the Public Utilities Act if the Commission determines that amounts appropriated from the Public Utility Fund exceed the amounts in the Fund.

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