Full Text of HB4573 97th General Assembly
HB4573eng 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | AN ACT concerning regulation.
| 2 | | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
| 3 | | represented in the General Assembly:
| 4 | | Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended by changing | 5 | | Section 9-220 as follows: | 6 | | (220 ILCS 5/9-220) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 9-220) | 7 | | Sec. 9-220. Rate changes based on changes in fuel costs. | 8 | | (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 9-201, the
| 9 | | Commission may authorize the increase or decrease of rates and | 10 | | charges
based upon changes in the cost of fuel used in the | 11 | | generation or production
of electric power, changes in the cost | 12 | | of purchased power, or changes in
the cost of purchased gas | 13 | | through the application of fuel adjustment
clauses or purchased | 14 | | gas adjustment clauses. The Commission may also
authorize the | 15 | | increase or decrease of rates and charges based upon | 16 | | expenditures
or revenues resulting from the purchase or sale of | 17 | | emission allowances created
under the federal Clean Air Act | 18 | | Amendments of 1990,
through such fuel adjustment clauses, as a | 19 | | cost of fuel. For the purposes of
this paragraph, cost of fuel | 20 | | used in the generation or production of electric
power shall | 21 | | include the amount of any fees paid by the utility for the
| 22 | | implementation and operation of a process for the | 23 | | desulfurization of the
flue gas when burning high sulfur coal |
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| 1 | | at any location within the State of
Illinois irrespective of | 2 | | the attainment status designation of such
location; but shall | 3 | | not include transportation costs
of coal
(i) except to the | 4 | | extent that for contracts entered into on
and after the | 5 | | effective date of this amendatory Act of 1997,
the cost of the | 6 | | coal, including transportation costs,
constitutes the lowest | 7 | | cost for adequate and reliable fuel
supply reasonably available | 8 | | to the public utility in
comparison to the cost, including | 9 | | transportation costs, of
other adequate and reliable sources of | 10 | | fuel supply reasonably
available to the public utility, or (ii)
| 11 | | except as otherwise provided in the next 3 sentences of this | 12 | | paragraph.
Such costs of fuel
shall, when requested by a | 13 | | utility or at the conclusion of the utility's
next general | 14 | | electric rate proceeding, whichever shall first occur, include
| 15 | | transportation costs of coal purchased under existing coal | 16 | | purchase
contracts. For purposes of this paragraph "existing | 17 | | coal purchase
contracts" means contracts for the purchase of | 18 | | coal in effect on the
effective date of this amendatory Act of | 19 | | 1991, as such contracts may
thereafter be amended, but only to | 20 | | the extent that any such amendment does
not increase the | 21 | | aggregate quantity of coal to be purchased under such
contract.
| 22 | | Nothing herein shall authorize an electric utility
to recover | 23 | | through its fuel adjustment clause any amounts of
| 24 | | transportation costs of coal that were included in the revenue
| 25 | | requirement used to set base rates in its most recent general
| 26 | | rate proceeding.
Cost shall be based upon uniformly applied |
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| 1 | | accounting
principles. Annually, the Commission shall initiate | 2 | | public hearings to
determine whether the clauses reflect actual | 3 | | costs of fuel, gas, power, or
coal transportation purchased to | 4 | | determine whether such purchases were
prudent, and to reconcile | 5 | | any amounts collected with the actual costs of
fuel, power, | 6 | | gas, or coal transportation prudently purchased. In each such
| 7 | | proceeding, the burden of proof shall be upon the utility to | 8 | | establish the
prudence of its cost of fuel, power, gas, or coal
| 9 | | transportation purchases
and costs.
The Commission shall
issue | 10 | | its final order in each such annual proceeding for an
electric | 11 | | utility by December 31 of the year immediately
following the | 12 | | year to which the proceeding pertains, provided,
that the | 13 | | Commission shall issue its final order with respect
to such | 14 | | annual proceeding for the years 1996 and earlier by December | 15 | | 31, 1998. | 16 | | (b) A public utility providing electric service, other than | 17 | | a public utility
described in subsections (e) or (f) of this | 18 | | Section, may at
any time during the mandatory transition period | 19 | | file with the
Commission proposed tariff sheets that eliminate | 20 | | the public
utility's fuel adjustment clause and adjust the | 21 | | public
utility's base rate tariffs by the amount necessary for | 22 | | the
base fuel component of the base rates to recover the public
| 23 | | utility's average fuel and power supply costs per kilowatt-hour | 24 | | for the 2
most recent years for which the Commission
has issued | 25 | | final orders in annual proceedings pursuant to
subsection (a), | 26 | | where the average fuel and power supply costs
per kilowatt-hour |
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| 1 | | shall be calculated as the sum of the public
utility's prudent | 2 | | and allowable fuel and power supply costs as
found by the | 3 | | Commission in the 2 proceedings divided by the
public utility's | 4 | | actual jurisdictional kilowatt-hour sales for
those 2 years. | 5 | | Notwithstanding any contrary or inconsistent
provisions in | 6 | | Section 9-201 of this Act, in subsection (a) of
this Section or | 7 | | in any rules or regulations promulgated by the
Commission | 8 | | pursuant to subsection (g) of this Section, the
Commission | 9 | | shall review and shall by order approve, or approve
as | 10 | | modified, the proposed tariff sheets within 60 days after
the | 11 | | date of the public utility's filing. The Commission may
modify | 12 | | the public utility's proposed tariff sheets only to the
extent | 13 | | the Commission finds necessary to achieve conformance
to the | 14 | | requirements of this subsection (b). During the 5
years | 15 | | following the date of the Commission's order, but in any
event | 16 | | no earlier than January 1, 2007, a public utility whose
fuel | 17 | | adjustment clause has been eliminated pursuant to this
| 18 | | subsection shall not file proposed tariff sheets seeking, or
| 19 | | otherwise petition the Commission for, reinstatement of a fuel
| 20 | | adjustment clause. | 21 | | (c) Notwithstanding any contrary or inconsistent
| 22 | | provisions in Section 9-201 of this Act, in subsection (a) of
| 23 | | this Section or in any rules or regulations promulgated by the
| 24 | | Commission pursuant to subsection (g) of this Section, a
public | 25 | | utility providing electric service, other than a public utility
| 26 | | described
in subsection (e) or (f) of this Section, may at any |
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| 1 | | time
during the mandatory transition period file with the
| 2 | | Commission proposed tariff sheets that establish the rate per
| 3 | | kilowatt-hour to be applied pursuant to the public utility's
| 4 | | fuel adjustment clause at the average value for such rate
| 5 | | during the preceding 24 months, provided that such average
rate | 6 | | results in a credit to customers' bills, without making
any | 7 | | revisions to the public utility's base rate tariffs. The
| 8 | | proposed tariff sheets shall establish the fuel adjustment
rate | 9 | | for a specific time period of at least 3 years but not
more | 10 | | than 5 years, provided that the terms and conditions for
any | 11 | | reinstatement earlier than 5 years shall be set forth in
the | 12 | | proposed tariff sheets and subject to modification or
approval | 13 | | by the Commission. The Commission shall review and
shall by | 14 | | order approve the proposed tariff sheets if it finds
that the | 15 | | requirements of this subsection are met. The
Commission shall | 16 | | not conduct the annual hearings specified in the
last 3 | 17 | | sentences of subsection (a) of this Section for the
utility for | 18 | | the period that the factor established pursuant to
this | 19 | | subsection is in effect. | 20 | | (d) A public utility providing electric service, or a | 21 | | public utility
providing gas service
may file with the | 22 | | Commission proposed tariff sheets that
eliminate the public | 23 | | utility's fuel or purchased gas
adjustment clause and adjust | 24 | | the public utility's base rate
tariffs to provide for recovery | 25 | | of power supply costs or gas
supply costs that would have been | 26 | | recovered through such
clause; provided, that the provisions of |
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| 1 | | this subsection (d) shall not be
available to a public utility | 2 | | described in subsections (e) or (f) of this
Section to | 3 | | eliminate its fuel adjustment clause. Notwithstanding any | 4 | | contrary
or inconsistent
provisions in Section 9-201 of this | 5 | | Act, in subsection (a) of
this Section, or in any rules or | 6 | | regulations promulgated by
the Commission pursuant to | 7 | | subsection (g) of this Section, the
Commission shall review and | 8 | | shall by order approve, or approve
as modified in the | 9 | | Commission's order, the proposed tariff
sheets within 240 days | 10 | | after the date of the public utility's
filing. The Commission's | 11 | | order shall approve rates and
charges that the Commission, | 12 | | based on information in the
public utility's filing or on the | 13 | | record if a hearing is held
by the Commission, finds will | 14 | | recover the reasonable, prudent
and necessary jurisdictional | 15 | | power supply costs or gas supply
costs incurred or to be | 16 | | incurred by the public utility during
a 12 month period found | 17 | | by the Commission to be appropriate
for these purposes, | 18 | | provided, that such period shall be either
(i) a 12 month | 19 | | historical period occurring during the 15
months ending on the | 20 | | date of the public utility's filing, or
(ii) a 12 month future | 21 | | period ending no later than 15 months
following the date of the | 22 | | public utility's filing. The public
utility shall include with | 23 | | its tariff filing information
showing both (1) its actual | 24 | | jurisdictional power supply costs
or gas supply costs for a 12 | 25 | | month historical period
conforming to (i) above and (2) its | 26 | | projected jurisdictional
power supply costs or gas supply costs |
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| 1 | | for a future 12 month
period conforming to (ii) above. If the | 2 | | Commission's order
requires modifications in the tariff sheets | 3 | | filed by the
public utility, the public utility shall have 7 | 4 | | days following
the date of the order to notify the Commission | 5 | | whether the
public utility will implement the modified tariffs | 6 | | or elect to
continue its fuel or purchased gas adjustment | 7 | | clause in force
as though no order had been entered. The | 8 | | Commission's order
shall provide for any reconciliation of | 9 | | power supply costs or
gas supply costs, as the case may be, and | 10 | | associated revenues
through the date that the public utility's | 11 | | fuel or purchased
gas adjustment clause is eliminated. During | 12 | | the 5 years
following the date of the Commission's order, a | 13 | | public utility
whose fuel or purchased gas adjustment clause | 14 | | has been
eliminated pursuant to this subsection shall not file | 15 | | proposed
tariff sheets seeking, or otherwise petition the | 16 | | Commission
for, reinstatement or adoption of a fuel or | 17 | | purchased gas
adjustment clause. Nothing in this subsection (d) | 18 | | shall be
construed as limiting the Commission's authority to | 19 | | eliminate
a public utility's fuel adjustment clause or | 20 | | purchased gas
adjustment clause in accordance with any other | 21 | | applicable
provisions of this Act. | 22 | | (e) Notwithstanding any contrary or inconsistent | 23 | | provisions in
Section 9-201 of this Act, in subsection (a) of | 24 | | this Section, or in
any rules promulgated by the Commission | 25 | | pursuant
to subsection (g) of this Section, a public utility | 26 | | providing
electric service to more than 1,000,000 customers in |
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| 1 | | this State may, within the
first 6 months after the
effective | 2 | | date of this amendatory Act of 1997, file with the
Commission | 3 | | proposed tariff sheets that eliminate, effective
January 1, | 4 | | 1997, the public utility's fuel adjustment clause
without | 5 | | adjusting its base rates, and such tariff sheets shall be
| 6 | | effective upon filing. To the extent the application of the | 7 | | fuel
adjustment clause had resulted in net charges to customers | 8 | | after
January 1, 1997, the utility shall also file a tariff | 9 | | sheet that
provides for a refund stated on a per kilowatt-hour | 10 | | basis of such
charges over a period not to exceed 6 months; | 11 | | provided
however, that such refund shall not include the | 12 | | proportional
amounts of taxes paid under the Use Tax Act, | 13 | | Service Use Tax Act,
Service Occupation Tax Act, and Retailers' | 14 | | Occupation Tax Act on
fuel used in generation. The Commission | 15 | | shall issue an order
within 45 days after the date of the | 16 | | public utility's filing
approving or approving as modified such | 17 | | tariff sheet. If the fuel
adjustment clause is eliminated | 18 | | pursuant to this subsection, the
Commission shall not conduct | 19 | | the annual hearings specified in the
last 3 sentences of | 20 | | subsection (a) of this Section for the
utility for any period | 21 | | after December 31, 1996 and prior to any
reinstatement of such | 22 | | clause. A public utility whose fuel
adjustment clause has been | 23 | | eliminated pursuant to this subsection
shall not file a | 24 | | proposed tariff sheet seeking, or otherwise
petition the | 25 | | Commission for, reinstatement of the fuel adjustment
clause | 26 | | prior to January 1, 2007. |
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| 1 | | (f) Notwithstanding any contrary or inconsistent | 2 | | provisions in Section
9-201 of this Act, in subsection (a) of | 3 | | this Section, or in any rules or
regulations promulgated by the | 4 | | Commission pursuant to subsection (g) of this
Section, a public | 5 | | utility providing electric service to more than 500,000
| 6 | | customers but fewer than 1,000,000 customers in this State may, | 7 | | within the
first
6 months after the effective date of this | 8 | | amendatory Act of 1997, file with the
Commission proposed | 9 | | tariff sheets that eliminate, effective January 1, 1997,
the | 10 | | public utility's fuel adjustment clause and adjust its base | 11 | | rates by the
amount necessary for the base fuel component of | 12 | | the base rates to recover
91% of the public utility's average | 13 | | fuel and power supply costs for the 2 most
recent years for | 14 | | which the Commission, as of January 1, 1997, has issued final
| 15 | | orders in annual proceedings pursuant to subsection (a), where | 16 | | the average fuel
and power supply costs per kilowatt-hour shall | 17 | | be calculated as the sum of the
public utility's prudent and | 18 | | allowable fuel and power supply costs as found by
the | 19 | | Commission in the 2 proceedings divided by the public utility's | 20 | | actual
jurisdictional kilowatt-hour sales for those 2 years, | 21 | | provided, that such
tariff sheets shall be effective upon | 22 | | filing. To the extent the application of
the fuel adjustment | 23 | | clause had resulted in net charges to customers after
January | 24 | | 1, 1997, the utility shall also file a tariff sheet that | 25 | | provides for a
refund stated on a per kilowatt-hour basis of | 26 | | such charges over a period not to
exceed 6 months. Provided |
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| 1 | | however, that such refund shall not include the
proportional | 2 | | amounts of taxes paid under the Use Tax Act, Service Use Tax | 3 | | Act,
Service Occupation Tax Act, and Retailers' Occupation Tax | 4 | | Act on fuel used in
generation. The Commission shall issue an | 5 | | order within 45 days after the date
of the public utility's | 6 | | filing approving or approving as modified such tariff
sheet. If | 7 | | the fuel adjustment clause is eliminated pursuant to this
| 8 | | subsection, the Commission shall not conduct the annual | 9 | | hearings specified in
the last 3 sentences of subsection (a) of | 10 | | this Section for the utility for any
period after December 31, | 11 | | 1996 and prior to any reinstatement of such clause.
A public | 12 | | utility whose fuel adjustment clause has been eliminated | 13 | | pursuant to
this subsection shall not file a proposed tariff | 14 | | sheet seeking, or otherwise
petition the Commission for, | 15 | | reinstatement of the fuel adjustment clause prior
to January 1, | 16 | | 2007. | 17 | | (g) The Commission shall have authority to promulgate rules | 18 | | and
regulations to
carry out the provisions of this Section. | 19 | | (h) Any Illinois gas utility may enter into a contract on | 20 | | or before September 30, 2011 for up to 10 years of supply with | 21 | | any company for the purchase of substitute natural gas (SNG) | 22 | | produced from coal through the gasification process if the | 23 | | company has commenced construction of a clean coal SNG facility | 24 | | by July 1, 2012 and commencement of construction shall mean | 25 | | that material physical site work has occurred, such as site | 26 | | clearing and excavation, water runoff prevention, water |
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| 1 | | retention reservoir preparation, or foundation development. | 2 | | The contract shall contain the following provisions: (i) at | 3 | | least 90% of feedstock to be used in the gasification process | 4 | | shall be coal with a high volatile bituminous rank and greater | 5 | | than 1.7 pounds of sulfur per million Btu content; (ii) at the | 6 | | time the contract term commences, the price per million Btu may | 7 | | not exceed $7.95 in 2008 dollars, adjusted annually based on | 8 | | the change in the Annual Consumer Price Index for All Urban | 9 | | Consumers for the Midwest Region as published in April by the | 10 | | United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics | 11 | | (or a suitable Consumer Price Index calculation if this | 12 | | Consumer Price Index is not available) for the previous | 13 | | calendar year; provided that the price per million Btu shall | 14 | | not exceed $9.95 at any time during the contract; (iii) the | 15 | | utility's supply contract for the purchase of SNG does not | 16 | | exceed 15% of the annual system supply requirements of the | 17 | | utility as of 2008; and (iv) the contract costs pursuant to | 18 | | subsection (h-10) of this Section shall not include any | 19 | | lobbying expenses, charitable contributions, advertising, | 20 | | organizational memberships, carbon dioxide pipeline or | 21 | | sequestration expenses, or marketing expenses. | 22 | | Any gas utility that is providing service to more than | 23 | | 150,000 customers on August 2, 2011 (the effective date of | 24 | | Public Act 97-239) shall either elect to enter into a contract | 25 | | on or before September 30, 2011 for 10 years of SNG supply with | 26 | | the owner of a clean coal SNG facility or to file biennial rate |
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| 1 | | proceedings before the Commission in the years 2012, 2014, and | 2 | | 2016, with such filings made after August 2, 2011 and no later | 3 | | than September 30 of the years 2012, 2014, and 2016 consistent | 4 | | with all requirements of 83 Ill. Adm. Code 255 and 285 as | 5 | | though the gas utility were filing for an increase in its | 6 | | rates, without regard to whether such filing would produce an | 7 | | increase, a decrease, or no change in the gas utility's rates, | 8 | | and the Commission shall review the gas utility's filing and | 9 | | shall issue its order in accordance with the provisions of | 10 | | Section 9-201 of this Act. | 11 | | Within 7 days after August 2, 2011, the owner of the clean | 12 | | coal SNG facility shall submit to the Illinois Power Agency and | 13 | | each gas utility that is providing service to more than 150,000 | 14 | | customers on August 2, 2011 a copy of a draft contract. Within | 15 | | 30 days after the receipt of the draft contract, each such gas | 16 | | utility shall provide the Illinois Power Agency and the owner | 17 | | of the clean coal SNG facility with its comments and | 18 | | recommended revisions to the draft contract. Within 7 days | 19 | | after the receipt of the gas utility's comments and recommended | 20 | | revisions, the owner of the facility shall submit its | 21 | | responsive comments and a further revised draft of the contract | 22 | | to the Illinois Power Agency. The Illinois Power Agency shall | 23 | | review the draft contract and comments. | 24 | | During its review of the draft contract, the Illinois Power | 25 | | Agency shall: | 26 | | (1) review and confirm in writing that the terms stated |
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| 1 | | in this subsection (h) are incorporated in the SNG | 2 | | contract; | 3 | | (2) review the SNG pricing formula included in the | 4 | | contract and approve that formula if the Illinois Power | 5 | | Agency determines that the formula, at the time the | 6 | | contract term commences: (A) starts with a price of $6.50 | 7 | | per MMBtu adjusted by the adjusted final capitalized plant | 8 | | cost; (B) takes into account budgeted miscellaneous net | 9 | | revenue after cost allowance, including sale of SNG | 10 | | produced by the clean coal SNG facility above the nameplate | 11 | | capacity of the facility and other by-products produced by | 12 | | the facility, as approved by the Illinois Power Agency; (C) | 13 | | does not include carbon dioxide transportation or | 14 | | sequestration expenses; and (D) includes all provisions | 15 | | required under this subsection (h); if the Illinois Power | 16 | | Agency does not approve of the SNG pricing formula, then | 17 | | the Illinois Power Agency shall modify the formula to | 18 | | ensure that it meets the requirements of this subsection | 19 | | (h); | 20 | | (3) review and approve the amount of budgeted | 21 | | miscellaneous net revenue after cost allowance, including | 22 | | sale of SNG produced by the clean coal SNG facility above | 23 | | the nameplate capacity of the facility and other | 24 | | by-products produced by the facility, to be included in the | 25 | | pricing formula; the Illinois Power Agency shall approve | 26 | | the amount of budgeted miscellaneous net revenue to be |
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| 1 | | included in the pricing formula if it determines the | 2 | | budgeted amount to be reasonable and accurate; | 3 | | (4) review and confirm in writing that using the EIA | 4 | | Annual Energy Outlook-2011 Henry Hub Spot Price, the | 5 | | contract terms set out in subsection (h), the | 6 | | reconciliation account terms as set out in subsection | 7 | | (h-15), and an estimated inflation rate of 2.5% for each | 8 | | corresponding year, that there will be no cumulative | 9 | | estimated increase for residential customers; and | 10 | | (5) allocate the nameplate capacity of the clean coal | 11 | | SNG by total therms sold to ultimate customers by each gas | 12 | | utility in 2008; provided, however, no utility shall be | 13 | | required to purchase more than 42% of the projected annual | 14 | | output of the facility; additionally, the Illinois Power | 15 | | Agency shall further adjust the allocation only as required | 16 | | to take into account (A) adverse consolidation, | 17 | | derivative, or lease impacts to the balance sheet or income | 18 | | statement of any gas utility or (B) the physical capacity | 19 | | of the gas utility to accept SNG. | 20 | | If the parties to the contract do not agree on the terms | 21 | | therein, then the Illinois Power Agency shall retain an | 22 | | independent mediator to mediate the dispute between the | 23 | | parties. If the parties are in agreement on the terms of the | 24 | | contract, then the Illinois Power Agency shall approve the | 25 | | contract. If after mediation the parties have failed to come to | 26 | | agreement, then the Illinois Power Agency shall revise the |
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| 1 | | draft contract as necessary to confirm that the contract | 2 | | contains only terms that are reasonable and equitable. The | 3 | | Illinois Power Agency may, in its discretion, retain an | 4 | | independent, qualified, and experienced expert to assist in its | 5 | | obligations under this subsection (h). The Illinois Power | 6 | | Agency shall adopt and make public policies detailing the | 7 | | processes for retaining a mediator and an expert under this | 8 | | subsection (h). Any mediator or expert retained under this | 9 | | subsection (h) shall be retained no later than 60 days after | 10 | | August 2, 2011. | 11 | | The Illinois Power Agency shall complete all of its | 12 | | responsibilities under this subsection (h) within 60 days after | 13 | | August 2, 2011. The clean coal SNG facility shall pay a | 14 | | reasonable fee as required by the Illinois Power Agency for its | 15 | | services under this subsection (h) and shall pay the mediator's | 16 | | and expert's reasonable fees, if any. A gas utility and its | 17 | | customers shall have no obligation to reimburse the clean coal | 18 | | SNG facility or the Illinois Power Agency of any such costs. | 19 | | Within 30 days after commercial production of SNG has | 20 | | begun, the Commission shall initiate a review to determine | 21 | | whether the final capitalized plant cost of the clean coal SNG | 22 | | facility reflects actual incurred costs and whether the | 23 | | incurred costs were reasonable. In determining the actual | 24 | | incurred costs included in the final capitalized plant cost and | 25 | | the reasonableness of those costs, the Commission may in its | 26 | | discretion retain independent, qualified, and experienced |
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| 1 | | experts to assist in its determination. The expert shall not | 2 | | own or control any direct or indirect interest in the clean | 3 | | coal SNG facility and shall have no contractual relationship | 4 | | with the clean coal SNG facility. If an expert is retained by | 5 | | the Commission, then the clean coal SNG facility shall pay the | 6 | | expert's reasonable fees. The fees shall not be passed on to a | 7 | | utility or its customers. The Commission shall adopt and make | 8 | | public a policy detailing the process for retaining experts | 9 | | under this subsection (h). | 10 | | Within 30 days after completion of its review, the | 11 | | Commission shall initiate a formal proceeding on the final | 12 | | capitalized plant cost of the clean coal SNG facility at which | 13 | | comments and testimony may be submitted by any interested | 14 | | parties and the public. If the Commission finds that the final | 15 | | capitalized plant cost includes costs that were not actually | 16 | | incurred or costs that were unreasonably incurred, then the | 17 | | Commission shall disallow the amount of non-incurred or | 18 | | unreasonable costs from the SNG price under contracts entered | 19 | | into under this subsection (h). If the Commission disallows any | 20 | | costs, then the Commission shall adjust the SNG price using the | 21 | | price formula in the contract approved by the Illinois Power | 22 | | Agency under this subsection (h) to reflect the disallowed | 23 | | costs and shall enter an order specifying the revised price. In | 24 | | addition, the Commission's order shall direct the clean coal | 25 | | SNG facility to issue refunds of such sums as shall represent | 26 | | the difference between actual gross revenues and the gross |
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| 1 | | revenue that would have been obtained based upon the same | 2 | | volume, from the price revised by the Commission. Any refund | 3 | | shall include interest calculated at a rate determined by the | 4 | | Commission and shall be returned according to procedures | 5 | | prescribed by the Commission. | 6 | | Nothing in this subsection (h) shall preclude any party | 7 | | affected by a decision of the Commission under this subsection | 8 | | (h) from seeking judicial review of the Commission's decision. | 9 | | (h-1) Any Illinois gas utility may enter into a sourcing | 10 | | agreement for up to 30 years of supply with the clean coal SNG | 11 | | brownfield facility if the clean coal SNG brownfield facility | 12 | | has commenced construction. Any gas utility that is providing | 13 | | service to more than 150,000 customers on July 13, 2011 (the | 14 | | effective date of Public Act 97-096) shall either elect to file | 15 | | biennial rate proceedings before the Commission in the years | 16 | | 2012, 2014, and 2016 or enter into a sourcing agreement or | 17 | | sourcing agreements with a clean coal SNG brownfield facility | 18 | | with an initial term of 30 years for either (i) a percentage of | 19 | | 43,500,000,000 cubic feet per year, such that the utilities | 20 | | entering into sourcing agreements with the clean coal SNG | 21 | | brownfield facility purchase 100%,
allocated by total therms | 22 | | sold to ultimate customers by each
gas utility in 2008 or (ii) | 23 | | such lesser amount as may be available from the clean coal SNG | 24 | | brownfield facility; provided that no utility shall be required | 25 | | to purchase more than 42% of the projected annual output of the | 26 | | clean coal SNG brownfield facility, with the remainder of such |
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| 1 | | utility's obligation to be divided proportionately between the | 2 | | other utilities, and provided that the Illinois Power Agency | 3 | | shall
further adjust the allocation only as required to take | 4 | | into
account adverse consolidation, derivative, or lease | 5 | | impacts to
the balance sheet or income statement of any gas | 6 | | utility. | 7 | | A gas utility electing to file biennial rate proceedings | 8 | | before the Commission must file a notice of its election with | 9 | | the Commission within 60 days after July 13, 2011 or its right | 10 | | to make the election is irrevocably waived. A gas utility | 11 | | electing to file biennial rate proceedings shall make such | 12 | | filings no later than August 1 of the years 2012, 2014, and | 13 | | 2016, consistent with all requirements of 83 Ill. Adm. Code 255 | 14 | | and 285 as though the gas utility were filing for an increase | 15 | | in its rates, without regard to whether such filing would | 16 | | produce an increase, a decrease, or no change in the gas | 17 | | utility's rates, and notwithstanding any other provisions of | 18 | | this Act, the Commission shall fully review the gas utility's | 19 | | filing and shall issue its order in accordance with the | 20 | | provisions of Section 9-201 of this Act, regardless of whether | 21 | | the
Commission has approved a formula rate for the gas utility. | 22 | | Within 15 days after July 13, 2011, the owner of the clean | 23 | | coal SNG brownfield facility shall submit to the Illinois Power | 24 | | Agency and each gas utility that is providing service to more | 25 | | than 150,000 customers on July 13, 2011 a copy of a draft | 26 | | sourcing agreement. Within 45 days after receipt of the draft |
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| 1 | | sourcing agreement, each such gas utility shall provide the | 2 | | Illinois Power Agency and the owner of a clean coal SNG | 3 | | brownfield facility with its comments and recommended | 4 | | revisions to the draft sourcing agreement. Within 15 days after | 5 | | the receipt of the gas utility's comments and recommended | 6 | | revisions, the owner of the clean coal SNG brownfield facility | 7 | | shall submit its responsive comments and a further revised | 8 | | draft of the sourcing agreement to the Illinois Power Agency. | 9 | | The Illinois Power Agency shall review the draft sourcing | 10 | | agreement and comments. | 11 | | If the parties to the sourcing agreement do not agree on | 12 | | the terms therein, then the Illinois Power Agency shall retain | 13 | | an independent mediator to mediate the dispute between the | 14 | | parties. If the parties are in agreement on the terms of the | 15 | | sourcing agreement, the Illinois Power Agency shall approve the | 16 | | final draft sourcing agreement. If after mediation the parties | 17 | | have failed to come to agreement, then the Illinois Power | 18 | | Agency shall revise the draft sourcing agreement as necessary | 19 | | to confirm that the final draft sourcing agreement contains | 20 | | only terms that are reasonable and equitable. The Illinois | 21 | | Power Agency shall adopt and make public a policy detailing the | 22 | | process for retaining a mediator under this subsection (h-1). | 23 | | Any mediator retained to assist with mediating disputes between | 24 | | the parties regarding the sourcing agreement shall be retained | 25 | | no later than 60 days after July 13, 2011. | 26 | | Upon approval of a final draft agreement, the Illinois |
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| 1 | | Power Agency shall submit the final draft agreement to the | 2 | | Capital Development Board and the Commission no later than 90 | 3 | | days after July 13, 2011. The gas utility and the clean coal | 4 | | SNG brownfield facility shall pay a reasonable fee as required | 5 | | by the Illinois Power Agency for its services under this | 6 | | subsection (h-1) and shall pay the mediator's reasonable fees, | 7 | | if any. The Illinois Power Agency shall adopt and make public a | 8 | | policy detailing the process for retaining a mediator under | 9 | | this Section. | 10 | | The sourcing agreement between a gas utility and the clean | 11 | | coal SNG brownfield facility shall contain the following | 12 | | provisions: | 13 | | (1) Any and all coal used in the gasification process | 14 | | must be coal that has high volatile bituminous rank and | 15 | | greater than 1.7 pounds of sulfur per million Btu content. | 16 | | (2) Coal and petroleum coke are feedstocks for the | 17 | | gasification process, with coal comprising at least 50% of | 18 | | the total feedstock over the term of the sourcing agreement | 19 | | unless the facility reasonably determines that it is
| 20 | | necessary to use additional petroleum coke to deliver net
| 21 | | consumer savings, in which case the facility shall use
coal | 22 | | for at least 35% of the total feedstock over the
term of | 23 | | any sourcing agreement and with the feedstocks to be | 24 | | procured in accordance with requirements of Section 1-78 of | 25 | | the Illinois Power Agency Act. | 26 | | (3) The sourcing agreement has an initial term that |
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| 1 | | once entered into terminates no more than 30 years after | 2 | | the commencement of the commercial production of SNG at the | 3 | | clean coal SNG brownfield facility. | 4 | | (4) The clean coal SNG brownfield facility guarantees a | 5 | | minimum of $100,000,000 in consumer savings to customers of
| 6 | | the utilities that have entered into sourcing agreements
| 7 | | with the clean coal SNG brownfield facility, calculated in | 8 | | real 2010 dollars at the conclusion of the term of the | 9 | | sourcing agreement by comparing the delivered SNG price to | 10 | | the Chicago City-gate price on a weighted daily basis for | 11 | | each day over the entire term of the sourcing agreement, to | 12 | | be provided in accordance with subsection (h-2) of this | 13 | | Section. | 14 | | (5) Prior to the clean coal SNG brownfield facility | 15 | | issuing a notice to proceed to construction, the clean coal | 16 | | SNG brownfield facility shall establish a consumer | 17 | | protection reserve account for the benefit of the customers | 18 | | of the utilities that have entered into sourcing agreements | 19 | | with the clean coal SNG brownfield facility pursuant to | 20 | | this subsection (h-1), with cash principal in the amount of | 21 | | $150,000,000. This cash principal shall only be | 22 | | recoverable through the consumer protection reserve | 23 | | account and not as a cost to be recovered in the delivered | 24 | | SNG price pursuant to subsection (h-3) of this Section. The | 25 | | consumer protection reserve account shall be maintained | 26 | | and administered by an independent trustee that is mutually |
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| 1 | | agreed upon by the clean coal SNG brownfield facility, the | 2 | | utilities, and the Commission in an interest-bearing | 3 | | account in accordance with subsection (h-2) of this | 4 | | Section. | 5 | | "Consumer protection reserve account principal maximum | 6 | | amount" shall mean the maximum amount of principal to be | 7 | | maintained in the consumer protection reserve account. | 8 | | During the first 2 years of operation of the facility, | 9 | | there shall be no consumer protection reserve account | 10 | | maximum amount. After the first 2 years of operation of the | 11 | | facility, the consumer protection reserve account maximum | 12 | | amount shall be $150,000,000. After 5 years of operation, | 13 | | and every 5 years thereafter, the trustee shall calculate | 14 | | the 5-year average balance of the consumer protection | 15 | | reserve account. If the trustee determines that during the | 16 | | prior 5 years the consumer protection reserve account has | 17 | | had an average account balance of less than $75,000,000, | 18 | | then the consumer protection reserve account principal | 19 | | maximum amount shall be increased by $5,000,000. If the | 20 | | trustee determines that during the prior 5 years the | 21 | | consumer protection reserve account has had an average | 22 | | account balance of more than $75,000,000, then the consumer | 23 | | protection reserve account principal maximum amount shall | 24 | | be decreased by $5,000,000. | 25 | | (6) The clean coal SNG brownfield facility shall | 26 | | identify and sell economically viable by-products produced |
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| 1 | | by the facility. | 2 | | (7) Fifty percent of all additional net revenue, | 3 | | defined as miscellaneous net revenue from products | 4 | | produced by the
facility and delivered during the month | 5 | | after cost allowance for costs associated with additional | 6 | | net revenue that are not otherwise recoverable pursuant to | 7 | | subsection (h-3) of this Section, including net revenue | 8 | | from sales of substitute natural gas derived from the | 9 | | facility above the nameplate capacity of the facility and | 10 | | other by-products produced by the facility, shall be | 11 | | credited to the consumer protection reserve account | 12 | | pursuant to subsection (h-2) of this Section. | 13 | | (8) The delivered SNG price per million btu to be paid | 14 | | monthly by the utility to the clean coal SNG brownfield | 15 | | facility, which shall be based only upon the following: (A) | 16 | | a capital recovery charge, operations and maintenance | 17 | | costs, and sequestration costs, only to the extent approved | 18 | | by the Commission pursuant to paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) | 19 | | of subsection (h-3) of this Section; (B) the actual | 20 | | delivered and processed fuel costs pursuant to paragraph | 21 | | (4) of subsection (h-3) of this Section; (C) actual costs | 22 | | of SNG transportation pursuant to paragraph (6) of | 23 | | subsection (h-3) of this Section; (D) certain taxes and | 24 | | fees imposed by the federal government, the State, or any | 25 | | unit of local government as provided in paragraph (6) of | 26 | | subsection (h-3) of this Section; and (E) the credit, if |
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| 1 | | any, from the consumer protection reserve account pursuant | 2 | | to subsection (h-2) of this Section. The delivered SNG | 3 | | price per million Btu shall proportionately reflect these | 4 | | elements over the term of the sourcing agreement. | 5 | | (9) A formula to translate the recoverable costs and | 6 | | charges under subsection (h-3) of this Section into the | 7 | | delivered SNG price per million btu. | 8 | | (10) Title to the SNG shall pass at a mutually | 9 | | agreeable point in Illinois, and may provide that, rather | 10 | | than the utility taking title to the SNG, a mutually agreed | 11 | | upon third-party gas marketer pursuant to a contract | 12 | | approved by the Illinois Power Agency or its designee may | 13 | | take title to the SNG pursuant to an agreement between the | 14 | | utility, the owner of the clean coal SNG brownfield | 15 | | facility, and the third-party gas marketer. | 16 | | (11) A utility may exit the sourcing agreement without | 17 | | penalty if the clean coal SNG brownfield facility does not | 18 | | commence construction by July 1, 2015. | 19 | | (12) A utility is responsible to pay only the | 20 | | Commission determined unit price cost of SNG that is | 21 | | purchased by the utility. Nothing in the sourcing agreement | 22 | | will obligate a utility to invest capital in a clean coal | 23 | | SNG brownfield facility. | 24 | | (13) The quality of SNG must, at a minimum, be | 25 | | equivalent to the quality required for interstate pipeline | 26 | | gas before a utility is required to accept and pay for SNG |
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| 1 | | gas. | 2 | | (14) Nothing in the sourcing agreement will require a | 3 | | utility to construct any facilities to accept delivery of | 4 | | SNG. Provided, however, if a utility is required by law or | 5 | | otherwise elects to connect the clean coal SNG brownfield | 6 | | facility to an interstate pipeline, then the utility shall | 7 | | be entitled to recover pursuant to its tariffs all just and | 8 | | reasonable costs that are prudently incurred. Any costs | 9 | | incurred by the utility to receive, deliver, manage, or | 10 | | otherwise accommodate purchases under the SNG sourcing | 11 | | agreement will be fully recoverable through a utility's | 12 | | purchased gas adjustment clause rider mechanism in
| 13 | | conjunction with a SNG brownfield facility rider
| 14 | | mechanism. The SNG brownfield facility rider mechanism
(A) | 15 | | shall be applicable to all customers who receive
| 16 | | transportation service from the utility, (B) shall be
| 17 | | designed to have an equal percent impact on the
| 18 | | transportation services rates of each class of the
| 19 | | utility's customers, and (C) shall accurately reflect the
| 20 | | net consumer savings, if any, and above-market costs, if
| 21 | | any, associated with the utility receiving, delivering,
| 22 | | managing, or otherwise accommodating purchases under the
| 23 | | SNG sourcing agreement. | 24 | | (15) Remedies for the clean coal SNG brownfield | 25 | | facility's failure to deliver a designated amount for a | 26 | | designated period. |
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| 1 | | (16) The clean coal SNG brownfield facility shall
make | 2 | | a good faith effort to ensure that an amount equal
to not | 3 | | less than 15% of the value of its prime
construction | 4 | | contract for the facility shall be
established as a goal to | 5 | | be awarded to minority owned
businesses, female owned | 6 | | businesses, and businesses owned
by a person with a | 7 | | disability; provided that at least 75%
of the amount of | 8 | | such total goal shall be for minority
owned businesses. | 9 | | "Minority owned business", "female
owned business", and | 10 | | "business owned by a person with a
disability" shall have | 11 | | the meanings ascribed to them in
Section 2 of the Business | 12 | | Enterprise for Minorities,
Females and Persons with | 13 | | Disabilities Act. | 14 | | (17) Prior to the clean coal SNG brownfield facility | 15 | | issuing a notice to proceed to construction, the clean coal | 16 | | SNG brownfield facility shall file with the Commission a | 17 | | certificate from an independent engineer that the clean | 18 | | coal SNG brownfield facility has (A) obtained all | 19 | | applicable State and federal environmental permits | 20 | | required for construction; (B) obtained approval from the | 21 | | Commission of a carbon capture and sequestration plan; and | 22 | | (C) obtained all necessary permits required for | 23 | | construction for the transportation and sequestration of | 24 | | carbon dioxide as set forth in the Commission-approved | 25 | | carbon capture and sequestration plan. | 26 | | (h-2) Consumer protection reserve account. The clean coal |
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| 1 | | SNG brownfield facility shall guarantee a minimum of | 2 | | $100,000,000 in consumer savings to customers of the utilities
| 3 | | that have entered into sourcing agreements with the clean coal
| 4 | | SNG brownfield facility, calculated in real 2010 dollars at the | 5 | | conclusion of the term of the sourcing agreement by comparing | 6 | | the delivered SNG price to the Chicago City-gate price on a | 7 | | weighted daily basis for each day over the entire term of the | 8 | | sourcing agreement. Prior to the clean coal SNG brownfield | 9 | | facility issuing a notice to proceed to construction, the clean | 10 | | coal SNG brownfield facility shall establish a consumer | 11 | | protection reserve account for the benefit of the retail | 12 | | customers of the utilities that have entered into sourcing | 13 | | agreements with the clean coal SNG brownfield facility pursuant | 14 | | to subsection (h-1), with cash principal in the amount of | 15 | | $150,000,000. Such cash principal shall only be recovered | 16 | | through the consumer protection reserve account and not as a | 17 | | cost to be recovered in the delivered SNG price pursuant to | 18 | | subsection (h-3) of this Section. The consumer protection | 19 | | reserve account shall be maintained and administered by an | 20 | | independent trustee that is mutually agreed upon by the clean | 21 | | coal SNG brownfield facility, the utilities, and the Commission | 22 | | in an interest-bearing account in accordance with the | 23 | | following: | 24 | | (1) The clean coal SNG brownfield facility monthly | 25 | | shall calculate (A) the difference between the monthly | 26 | | delivered SNG price and the Chicago City-gate price, by |
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| 1 | | comparing the delivered SNG price, which shall include the | 2 | | cost of transportation to the delivery point, if any, to | 3 | | the Chicago City-gate price on a weighted daily basis for | 4 | | each day of the prior month based upon a mutually agreed | 5 | | upon published index and (B) the overage amount, if any, by
| 6 | | calculating the annualized incremental additional cost,
if | 7 | | any, of the delivered SNG in excess of 2.015% of the
| 8 | | average annual inflation-adjusted amounts paid by all gas
| 9 | | distribution customers in connection with natural gas
| 10 | | service during the 5 years ending May 31, 2010. | 11 | | (2) During the first 2 years of operation of the | 12 | | facility: | 13 | | (A) to the extent there is an overage amount, the | 14 | | consumer protection reserve account shall be used to | 15 | | provide a credit to reduce the SNG price by an amount | 16 | | equal to the overage amount; and | 17 | | (B) to the extent the monthly delivered SNG price | 18 | | is less than or equal to the Chicago City-gate price, | 19 | | the utility shall credit the difference between the | 20 | | monthly delivered SNG price and the monthly Chicago | 21 | | City-gate price, if any, to the consumer protection | 22 | | reserve account. Such credit issued pursuant to this | 23 | | paragraph (B) shall be deemed prudent and reasonable | 24 | | and not subject to a Commission prudence review; | 25 | | (3) After 2 years of operation of the facility, and | 26 | | monthly, on an on-going basis, thereafter: |
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| 1 | | (A) to the extent that the monthly delivered SNG | 2 | | price is less than or equal to the Chicago City-gate | 3 | | price, calculated using the weighted average of the | 4 | | daily Chicago City-gate price on a daily basis over the | 5 | | entire month, the utility shall credit the difference, | 6 | | if any, to the consumer protection reserve account. | 7 | | Such credit issued pursuant to this subparagraph (A) | 8 | | shall be deemed prudent and reasonable and not subject | 9 | | to a Commission prudence review; | 10 | | (B) any amounts in the consumer protection reserve | 11 | | account in excess of the consumer protection reserve | 12 | | account principal maximum amount shall be distributed | 13 | | as follows: (i) if retail customers have not realized
| 14 | | net consumer savings, calculated by comparing the
| 15 | | delivered SNG price to the weighted average of the
| 16 | | daily Chicago City-gate price on a daily basis over
the | 17 | | entire term of the sourcing agreement to date,
then 50% | 18 | | of any amounts in the consumer protection
reserve | 19 | | account in excess of the consumer protection reserve | 20 | | account principal maximum shall be
distributed to the | 21 | | clean coal SNG brownfield
facility, with the remaining | 22 | | 50% of any such
additional amounts being credited to | 23 | | retail
customers, and (ii) if retail customers have | 24 | | realized net
consumer savings, then 100% of any amounts | 25 | | in the
consumer protection reserve account in excess of
| 26 | | the consumer protection reserve account principal |
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| 1 | | maximum shall be distributed to the clean coal
SNG | 2 | | brownfield facility; provided, however, that under no | 3 | | circumstances shall the total cumulative amount | 4 | | distributed to the clean coal SNG brownfield facility | 5 | | under this subparagraph (B) exceed $150,000,000; | 6 | | (C) to the extent there is an overage amount, after | 7 | | distributing the amounts pursuant to subparagraph (B) | 8 | | of this paragraph (3), if any, the consumer protection | 9 | | reserve account shall be used to provide a credit to | 10 | | reduce the SNG price by an amount equal to the overage | 11 | | amount; | 12 | | (D) if retail customers have realized net consumer | 13 | | savings, calculated by comparing the delivered SNG | 14 | | price to the weighted average of the daily Chicago | 15 | | City-gate price on a daily basis over the entire term | 16 | | of the sourcing agreement to date, then after | 17 | | distributing the amounts pursuant to subparagraphs (B) | 18 | | and (C) of this paragraph (3), 50% of any additional | 19 | | amounts in the consumer protection reserve account in | 20 | | excess of the consumer protection reserve account | 21 | | principal maximum shall be distributed to the clean | 22 | | coal SNG brownfield facility, with the remaining 50% of | 23 | | any such additional amounts being credited to retail | 24 | | customers; provided, however, that if retail customers | 25 | | have not realized such net consumer savings, no such | 26 | | distribution shall be made to the clean coal SNG |
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| 1 | | brownfield facility, and 100% of such additional | 2 | | amounts shall be credited to the retail customers to | 3 | | the extent the consumer protection reserve account | 4 | | exceeds the consumer protection reserve account | 5 | | principal maximum amount. | 6 | | (4) Fifty percent of all additional net revenue, | 7 | | defined as miscellaneous net revenue after cost allowance | 8 | | for costs associated with additional net revenue that are | 9 | | not otherwise recoverable pursuant to subsection (h-3) of | 10 | | this Section, including net revenue from sales of | 11 | | substitute natural gas derived from the facility above the | 12 | | nameplate capacity of the facility and other by-products | 13 | | produced by the facility, shall be credited to the consumer | 14 | | protection reserve account. | 15 | | (5) At the conclusion of the term of the sourcing | 16 | | agreement, to the extent retail customers have not saved | 17 | | the minimum of $100,000,000 in consumer savings as | 18 | | guaranteed in this subsection (h-2), amounts in the | 19 | | consumer protection reserve account shall be credited to | 20 | | retail customers to the extent the retail customers have | 21 | | saved the minimum of $100,000,000; 50% of any additional | 22 | | amounts in the consumer protection reserve account shall be | 23 | | distributed to the company, and the remaining 50% shall be | 24 | | distributed to retail customers. | 25 | | (6) If, at the conclusion of the term of the sourcing | 26 | | agreement, the customers have not saved the minimum |
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| 1 | | $100,000,000 in savings as guaranteed in this subsection | 2 | | (h-2) and the consumer protection reserve account has been | 3 | | depleted, then the clean coal SNG brownfield facility shall | 4 | | be liable for any remaining amount owed to the retail | 5 | | customers to the extent that the customers are provided | 6 | | with the $100,000,000 in savings as guaranteed in this | 7 | | subsection (h-2). The retail customers shall have first | 8 | | priority in recovering that debt above any creditors, | 9 | | except the original senior secured lender to the extent | 10 | | that the original senior secured lender has any senior | 11 | | secured debt outstanding, including any clean coal SNG | 12 | | brownfield facility parent companies or affiliates. | 13 | | (7) The clean coal SNG brownfield facility, the | 14 | | utilities, and the trustee shall work together to take | 15 | | commercially reasonable steps to minimize the tax impact of | 16 | | these transactions, while preserving the consumer | 17 | | benefits. | 18 | | (8) The clean coal SNG brownfield facility shall each | 19 | | month, starting in the facility's first year of commercial | 20 | | operation, file with the Commission, in such form as the | 21 | | Commission shall require, a report as to the consumer | 22 | | protection reserve account. The monthly report must | 23 | | contain the following information: | 24 | | (A) the extent the monthly delivered SNG price is | 25 | | greater than, less than, or equal to the Chicago | 26 | | City-gate price; |
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| 1 | | (B) the amount credited or debited to the consumer | 2 | | protection reserve account during the month; | 3 | | (C) the amounts credited to consumers and | 4 | | distributed to the clean coal SNG brownfield facility | 5 | | during the month; | 6 | | (D) the total amount of the consumer protection | 7 | | reserve account at the beginning and end of the month; | 8 | | (E) the total amount of consumer savings to date; | 9 | | (F) a confidential summary of the inputs used to | 10 | | calculate the additional net revenue; and | 11 | | (G) any other additional information the | 12 | | Commission shall require. | 13 | | When any report is erroneous or defective or appears to | 14 | | the Commission to be erroneous or defective, the Commission | 15 | | may notify the clean coal SNG brownfield facility to amend | 16 | | the report within 30 days, and, before or after the | 17 | | termination of the 30-day period, the Commission may | 18 | | examine the trustee of the consumer protection reserve | 19 | | account or the officers, agents, employees, books, | 20 | | records, or accounts of the clean coal SNG brownfield | 21 | | facility and correct such items in the report as upon such | 22 | | examination the Commission may find defective or | 23 | | erroneous. All reports shall be under oath. | 24 | | All reports made to the Commission by the clean coal | 25 | | SNG brownfield facility and the contents of the reports | 26 | | shall be open to public inspection and shall be deemed a |
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| 1 | | public record under the Freedom of Information Act. Such | 2 | | reports shall be preserved in the office of the Commission. | 3 | | The Commission shall publish an annual summary of the | 4 | | reports prior to February 1 of the following year. The | 5 | | annual summary shall be made available to the public on the | 6 | | Commission's website and shall be submitted to the General | 7 | | Assembly. | 8 | | Any facility that fails to file a report required under | 9 | | this paragraph (8) to the Commission within the time | 10 | | specified or to make specific answer to any question | 11 | | propounded by the Commission within 30 days from the time | 12 | | it is lawfully required to do so, or within such further | 13 | | time not to exceed 90 days as may in its discretion be | 14 | | allowed by the Commission, shall pay a penalty of $500 to | 15 | | the Commission for each day it is in default. | 16 | | Any person who willfully makes any false report to the | 17 | | Commission or to any member, officer, or employee thereof, | 18 | | any person who willfully in a report withholds or fails to | 19 | | provide material information to which the Commission is | 20 | | entitled under this paragraph (8) and which information is | 21 | | either required to be filed by statute, rule, regulation, | 22 | | order, or decision of the Commission or has been requested | 23 | | by the Commission, and any person who willfully aids or | 24 | | abets such person shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. | 25 | | (h-3) Recoverable costs and revenue by the clean coal SNG | 26 | | brownfield facility. |
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| 1 | | (1) A capital recovery charge approved by the | 2 | | Commission shall be recoverable by the clean coal SNG | 3 | | brownfield facility under a sourcing agreement. The | 4 | | capital recovery charge shall be comprised of capital costs | 5 | | and a reasonable rate of return. "Capital costs" means | 6 | | costs to be incurred in connection with the construction | 7 | | and development of a facility, as defined in Section 1-10 | 8 | | of the Illinois Power Agency Act, and such other costs as | 9 | | the Capital Development Board deems appropriate to be | 10 | | recovered in the capital recovery charge. | 11 | | (A) Capital costs. The Capital Development Board | 12 | | shall calculate a range of capital costs that it | 13 | | believes would be reasonable for the clean coal SNG | 14 | | brownfield facility to recover under the sourcing | 15 | | agreement. In making this determination, the Capital | 16 | | Development Board shall review the facility cost
| 17 | | report, if any, of the clean coal SNG brownfield
| 18 | | facility, adjusting the results based on the change in
| 19 | | the Annual Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers
| 20 | | for the Midwest Region as published in April by the
| 21 | | United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor
| 22 | | Statistics, the final draft of the sourcing agreement, | 23 | | and the rate of return approved by the Commission. In | 24 | | addition, the Capital Development Board may consult as | 25 | | much as it deems necessary with the clean coal SNG | 26 | | brownfield facility and conduct whatever research and |
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| 1 | | investigation it deems necessary. | 2 | | The Capital Development Board shall retain an | 3 | | engineering expert to assist in determining both the | 4 | | range of capital costs and the range of operations and | 5 | | maintenance costs that it believes would be reasonable | 6 | | for the clean coal SNG brownfield facility to recover | 7 | | under the sourcing agreement. Provided, however, that | 8 | | such expert shall: (i) not have been involved in the | 9 | | clean coal SNG brownfield facility's facility cost | 10 | | report, if any, (ii) not own or control any direct or | 11 | | indirect interest in the initial clean coal facility, | 12 | | and (iii) have no contractual relationship with the | 13 | | clean coal SNG brownfield facility. In order to qualify | 14 | | as an independent expert, a person or company must | 15 | | have: | 16 | | (i) direct previous experience conducting | 17 | | front-end engineering and design studies for | 18 | | large-scale energy facilities and administering | 19 | | large-scale energy operations and maintenance | 20 | | contracts, which may be particularized to the | 21 | | specific type of financing associated with the | 22 | | clean coal SNG brownfield facility; | 23 | | (ii) an advanced degree in economics, | 24 | | mathematics, engineering, or a related area of | 25 | | study; | 26 | | (iii) ten years of experience in the energy |
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| 1 | | sector, including construction and risk management | 2 | | experience; | 3 | | (iv) expertise in assisting companies with | 4 | | obtaining financing for large-scale energy | 5 | | projects, which may be particularized to the | 6 | | specific type of financing associated with the | 7 | | clean coal SNG brownfield facility; | 8 | | (v) expertise in operations and maintenance | 9 | | which may be particularized to the specific type of | 10 | | operations and maintenance associated with the | 11 | | clean coal SNG brownfield facility; | 12 | | (vi) expertise in credit and contract | 13 | | protocols; | 14 | | (vii) adequate resources to perform and | 15 | | fulfill the required functions and | 16 | | responsibilities; and | 17 | | (viii) the absence of a conflict of interest | 18 | | and inappropriate bias for or against an affected | 19 | | gas utility or the clean coal SNG brownfield | 20 | | facility. | 21 | | The clean coal SNG brownfield facility and the | 22 | | Illinois Power Agency shall cooperate with the Capital | 23 | | Development Board in any investigation it deems | 24 | | necessary. The Capital Development Board shall make | 25 | | its final determination of the range of capital costs | 26 | | confidentially and shall submit that range to the |
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| 1 | | Commission in a confidential filing within 120 days | 2 | | after July 13, 2011 (the effective date of Public Act | 3 | | 97-096). The clean coal SNG brownfield facility shall | 4 | | submit to the Commission its estimate of the capital | 5 | | costs to be recovered under the sourcing agreement. | 6 | | Only after the clean coal SNG brownfield facility has | 7 | | submitted this estimate shall the Commission publicly | 8 | | announce the range of capital costs submitted by the | 9 | | Capital Development Board. | 10 | | In the event that the estimate submitted by the | 11 | | clean coal SNG brownfield facility is within or below | 12 | | the range submitted by the Capital Development Board, | 13 | | the clean coal SNG brownfield facility's estimate | 14 | | shall be approved by the Commission as the amount of | 15 | | capital costs to be recovered under the sourcing | 16 | | agreement. In the event that the estimate submitted by | 17 | | the clean coal SNG brownfield facility is above the | 18 | | range submitted by the Capital Development Board, the | 19 | | amount of capital costs at the lowest end of the range | 20 | | submitted by the Capital Development Board shall be | 21 | | approved by the Commission as the amount of capital | 22 | | costs to be recovered under the sourcing agreement. | 23 | | Within 15 days after the Capital Development Board has | 24 | | submitted its range and the clean coal SNG brownfield | 25 | | facility has submitted its estimate, the Commission | 26 | | shall approve the capital costs for the clean coal SNG |
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| 1 | | brownfield facility. | 2 | | The Capital Development Board shall monitor the | 3 | | construction of the clean coal SNG brownfield facility | 4 | | for the full duration of construction to assess | 5 | | potential cost overruns. The Capital Development | 6 | | Board, in its discretion, may retain an expert to | 7 | | facilitate such monitoring. The clean coal SNG | 8 | | brownfield facility shall pay a reasonable fee as | 9 | | required by the Capital Development Board for the | 10 | | Capital Development Board's services under this | 11 | | subsection (h-3) to be deposited into the Capital | 12 | | Development Board Revolving Fund, and such fee shall | 13 | | not be passed through to a utility or its customers. If | 14 | | an expert is retained by the Capital Development Board | 15 | | for monitoring of construction, then the clean coal SNG | 16 | | brownfield facility must pay for the expert's | 17 | | reasonable fees and such costs shall not be passed | 18 | | through to a utility or its customers. | 19 | | (B) Rate of Return. No later than 30 days after the | 20 | | date on which the Illinois Power Agency submits a final | 21 | | draft sourcing agreement, the Commission shall hold a | 22 | | public hearing to determine the rate of return to be | 23 | | recovered under the sourcing agreement. Rate of return | 24 | | shall be comprised of the clean coal SNG brownfield | 25 | | facility's actual cost of debt, including | 26 | | mortgage-style amortization, and a reasonable return |
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| 1 | | on equity. The Commission shall post notice of the | 2 | | hearing on its website no later than 10 days prior to | 3 | | the date of the hearing. The Commission shall provide | 4 | | the public and all interested parties, including the | 5 | | gas utilities, the Attorney General, and the Illinois | 6 | | Power Agency, an opportunity to be heard. | 7 | | In determining the return on equity, the | 8 | | Commission shall select a commercially reasonable | 9 | | return on equity taking into account the return on | 10 | | equity being received by developers of similar | 11 | | facilities in or outside of Illinois, the need to | 12 | | balance an incentive for clean-coal technology with | 13 | | the need to protect ratepayers from high gas prices, | 14 | | the risks being borne by the clean coal SNG brownfield | 15 | | facility in the final draft sourcing agreement, and any | 16 | | other information that the Commission may deem | 17 | | relevant. The Commission may establish a return on | 18 | | equity that varies with the amount of savings, if any, | 19 | | to customers during the term of the sourcing agreement, | 20 | | comparing the delivered SNG price to a daily weighted | 21 | | average price of natural gas, based upon an index. The | 22 | | Illinois Power Agency shall recommend a return on | 23 | | equity to the Commission using the same criteria. | 24 | | Within 60 days after receiving the final draft sourcing | 25 | | agreement from the Illinois Power Agency, the | 26 | | Commission shall approve the rate of return for the |
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| 1 | | clean coal brownfield facility. Within 30 days after | 2 | | obtaining debt financing for the clean coal SNG | 3 | | brownfield facility, the clean coal SNG brownfield | 4 | | facility shall file a notice with the Commission | 5 | | identifying the actual cost of debt. | 6 | | (2) Operations and maintenance costs approved by the | 7 | | Commission shall be recoverable by the clean coal SNG | 8 | | brownfield facility under the sourcing agreement. The | 9 | | operations and maintenance costs mean costs that have been | 10 | | incurred for the administration, supervision, operation, | 11 | | maintenance, preservation, and protection of the clean | 12 | | coal SNG brownfield facility's physical plant. | 13 | | The Capital Development Board shall calculate a range | 14 | | of operations and maintenance costs that it believes would | 15 | | be reasonable for the clean coal SNG brownfield facility to | 16 | | recover under the sourcing agreement, incorporating an
| 17 | | inflation index or combination of inflation indices to
most | 18 | | accurately reflect the actual costs of operating the
clean | 19 | | coal SNG brownfield facility. In making this | 20 | | determination, the Capital Development Board shall review | 21 | | the facility cost report, if any, of the clean coal SNG
| 22 | | brownfield facility, adjusting the results for inflation
| 23 | | based on the change in the Annual Consumer Price Index for
| 24 | | All Urban Consumers for the Midwest Region as published in
| 25 | | April by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of
| 26 | | Labor Statistics, the final draft of the sourcing |
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| 1 | | agreement, and the rate of return approved by the | 2 | | Commission. In addition, the Capital Development Board may | 3 | | consult as much as it deems necessary with the clean coal | 4 | | SNG brownfield facility and conduct whatever research and | 5 | | investigation it deems necessary. As set forth in | 6 | | subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) of this subsection (h-3), | 7 | | the Capital Development Board shall retain an independent | 8 | | engineering expert to assist in determining both the range | 9 | | of operations and maintenance costs that it believes would | 10 | | be reasonable for the clean coal SNG brownfield facility to | 11 | | recover under the sourcing agreement. The clean coal SNG | 12 | | brownfield facility and the Illinois Power Agency shall | 13 | | cooperate with the Capital Development Board in any | 14 | | investigation it deems necessary. The Capital Development | 15 | | Board shall make its final determination of the range of | 16 | | operations and maintenance costs confidentially and shall | 17 | | submit that range to the Commission in a confidential | 18 | | filing within 120 days after July 13, 2011. | 19 | | The clean coal SNG brownfield facility shall submit to | 20 | | the Commission its estimate of the operations and | 21 | | maintenance costs to be recovered under the sourcing | 22 | | agreement. Only after the clean coal SNG brownfield | 23 | | facility has submitted this estimate shall the Commission | 24 | | publicly announce the range of operations and maintenance | 25 | | costs submitted by the Capital Development Board. In the | 26 | | event that the estimate submitted by the clean coal SNG |
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| 1 | | brownfield facility is within or below the range submitted | 2 | | by the Capital Development Board, the clean coal SNG | 3 | | brownfield facility's estimate shall be approved by the | 4 | | Commission as the amount of operations and maintenance | 5 | | costs to be recovered under the sourcing agreement. In the | 6 | | event that the estimate submitted by the clean coal SNG | 7 | | brownfield facility is above the range submitted by the | 8 | | Capital Development Board, the amount of operations and | 9 | | maintenance costs at the lowest end of the range submitted | 10 | | by the Capital Development Board shall be approved by the | 11 | | Commission as the amount of operations and maintenance | 12 | | costs to be recovered under the sourcing agreement. Within | 13 | | 15 days after the Capital Development Board has submitted | 14 | | its range and the clean coal SNG brownfield facility has | 15 | | submitted its estimate, the Commission shall approve the | 16 | | operations and maintenance costs for the clean coal SNG | 17 | | brownfield facility. | 18 | | The clean coal SNG brownfield facility shall pay for | 19 | | the independent engineering expert's reasonable fees and | 20 | | such costs shall not be passed through to a utility or its | 21 | | customers. The clean coal SNG brownfield facility shall pay | 22 | | a reasonable fee as required by the Capital Development | 23 | | Board for the Capital Development Board's services under | 24 | | this subsection (h-3) to be deposited into the Capital | 25 | | Development Board Revolving Fund, and such fee shall not be | 26 | | passed through to a utility or its customers. |
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| 1 | | (3) Sequestration costs approved by the Commission | 2 | | shall be recoverable by the clean coal SNG brownfield | 3 | | facility. "Sequestration costs" means costs to be incurred | 4 | | by the clean coal SNG brownfield facility in accordance | 5 | | with its Commission-approved carbon capture and | 6 | | sequestration plan to: | 7 | | (A) capture carbon dioxide; | 8 | | (B) build, operate, and maintain a sequestration | 9 | | site in which carbon dioxide may be injected; | 10 | | (C) build, operate, and maintain a carbon dioxide | 11 | | pipeline; and | 12 | | (D) transport the carbon dioxide to the | 13 | | sequestration site or a pipeline. | 14 | | The Commission shall assess the prudency of the | 15 | | sequestration costs for the clean coal SNG brownfield | 16 | | facility before construction commences at the | 17 | | sequestration site or pipeline. Any revenues the clean coal | 18 | | SNG brownfield facility receives as a result of the | 19 | | capture, transportation, or sequestration of carbon | 20 | | dioxide shall be first credited against all sequestration | 21 | | costs, with the positive balance, if any, treated as | 22 | | additional net revenue. | 23 | | The Commission may, in its discretion, retain an expert | 24 | | to assist in its review of sequestration costs. The clean | 25 | | coal SNG brownfield facility shall pay for the expert's | 26 | | reasonable fees if an expert is retained by the Commission, |
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| 1 | | and such costs shall not be passed through to a utility or | 2 | | its customers. Once made, the Commission's determination | 3 | | of the amount of recoverable sequestration costs shall not | 4 | | be increased unless the clean coal SNG brownfield facility | 5 | | can show by clear and convincing evidence that (i) the | 6 | | costs were not reasonably foreseeable; (ii) the costs were | 7 | | due to circumstances beyond the clean coal SNG brownfield | 8 | | facility's control; and (iii) the clean coal SNG brownfield | 9 | | facility took all reasonable steps to mitigate the costs. | 10 | | If the Commission determines that sequestration costs may | 11 | | be increased, the Commission shall provide for notice and a | 12 | | public hearing for approval of the increased sequestration | 13 | | costs. | 14 | | (4) Actual delivered and processed fuel costs shall be | 15 | | set by the Illinois Power Agency through a SNG feedstock | 16 | | procurement, pursuant to Sections 1-20, 1-77, and 1-78 of | 17 | | the Illinois Power Agency Act, to be performed at least | 18 | | every 5 years and purchased by the clean coal SNG | 19 | | brownfield facility pursuant to feedstock procurement | 20 | | contracts developed by the Illinois Power Agency, with coal | 21 | | comprising at least 50% of the total feedstock over the | 22 | | term of the sourcing agreement and petroleum coke | 23 | | comprising the remainder of the SNG feedstock. If the | 24 | | Commission fails to approve a feedstock procurement plan or | 25 | | fails to approve the results of a feedstock procurement | 26 | | event, then the fuel shall be purchased by the company |
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| 1 | | month-by-month on the spot market and those actual | 2 | | delivered and processed fuel costs shall be recoverable | 3 | | under the sourcing agreement. If a supplier defaults under | 4 | | the terms of a procurement contract, then the Illinois | 5 | | Power Agency shall immediately initiate a feedstock | 6 | | procurement process to obtain a replacement supply, and, | 7 | | prior to the conclusion of that process, fuel shall be | 8 | | purchased by the company month-by-month on the spot market | 9 | | and those actual delivered and processed fuel costs shall | 10 | | be recoverable under the sourcing agreement. | 11 | | (5) Taxes and fees imposed by the federal government, | 12 | | the State, or any unit of local government applicable to | 13 | | the clean coal SNG brownfield facility, excluding income | 14 | | tax, shall be recoverable by the clean coal SNG brownfield | 15 | | facility under the sourcing agreement to the extent such | 16 | | taxes and fees were not applicable to the facility on July | 17 | | 13, 2011. | 18 | | (6) The actual transportation costs, in accordance | 19 | | with the applicable utility's tariffs, and third-party | 20 | | marketer costs incurred by the company, if any, associated | 21 | | with transporting the SNG from the clean coal SNG | 22 | | brownfield facility to the Chicago City-gate to sell such | 23 | | SNG into the natural gas markets shall be recoverable under | 24 | | the sourcing agreement. | 25 | | (7) Unless otherwise provided, within 30 days after a | 26 | | decision of the Commission on recoverable costs under this |
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| 1 | | Section, any interested party to the Commission's decision | 2 | | may apply for a rehearing with respect to the decision. The | 3 | | Commission shall receive and consider the application for | 4 | | rehearing and shall grant or deny the application in whole | 5 | | or in part within 20 days after the date of the receipt of | 6 | | the application by the Commission. If no rehearing is | 7 | | applied for within the required 30 days or an application | 8 | | for rehearing is denied, then the Commission decision shall | 9 | | be final. If an application for rehearing is granted, then | 10 | | the Commission shall hold a rehearing within 30 days after | 11 | | granting the application. The decision of the Commission | 12 | | upon rehearing shall be final. | 13 | | Any person affected by a decision of the Commission | 14 | | under this subsection (h-3) may have the decision reviewed | 15 | | only under and in accordance with the Administrative Review | 16 | | Law. Unless otherwise provided, the provisions of the | 17 | | Administrative Review Law, all amendments and | 18 | | modifications to that Law, and the rules adopted pursuant | 19 | | to that Law shall apply to and govern all proceedings for | 20 | | the judicial review of final administrative decisions of | 21 | | the Commission under this subsection (h-3). The term | 22 | | "administrative decision" is defined as in Section 3-101 of | 23 | | the Code of Civil Procedure. | 24 | | (8) The Capital Development Board shall adopt and make | 25 | | public a policy detailing the process for retaining experts | 26 | | under this Section. Any experts retained to assist with |
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| 1 | | calculating the range of capital costs or operations and | 2 | | maintenance costs shall be retained no later than 45 days | 3 | | after July 13, 2011. | 4 | | (h-4) No later than 90 days after the Illinois Power Agency | 5 | | submits the final draft sourcing agreement pursuant to | 6 | | subsection (h-1), the Commission shall approve a sourcing | 7 | | agreement containing (i) the capital costs, rate of return, and | 8 | | operations and maintenance costs established pursuant to | 9 | | subsection (h-3) and (ii) all other terms and conditions, | 10 | | rights, provisions, exceptions, and limitations contained in | 11 | | the final draft sourcing agreement; provided, however, the | 12 | | Commission shall correct typographical and scrivener's errors | 13 | | and modify the contract only as necessary to provide that the | 14 | | gas utility does not have the right to terminate the sourcing | 15 | | agreement due to any future events that may occur other than | 16 | | the clean coal SNG brownfield facility's failure to timely meet | 17 | | milestones, uncured default, extended force majeure, or | 18 | | abandonment. Once the sourcing agreement is approved, then the | 19 | | gas utility subject to that sourcing agreement shall have 45 | 20 | | days after the date of the Commission's approval to enter into | 21 | | the sourcing agreement. | 22 | | (h-5) Sequestration enforcement. | 23 | | (A) All contracts entered into under subsection (h) of | 24 | | this Section and all sourcing agreements under subsection | 25 | | (h-1) of this Section, regardless of duration, shall | 26 | | require the owner of any facility supplying SNG under the |
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| 1 | | contract or sourcing agreement to provide certified | 2 | | documentation to the Commission each year, starting in the | 3 | | facility's first year of commercial operation, accurately | 4 | | reporting the quantity of carbon dioxide emissions from the | 5 | | facility that have been captured and sequestered and | 6 | | reporting any quantities of carbon dioxide released from | 7 | | the site or sites at which carbon dioxide emissions were | 8 | | sequestered in prior years, based on continuous monitoring | 9 | | of those sites. | 10 | | (B) If, in any year, the owner of the clean coal SNG | 11 | | facility fails to demonstrate that the SNG facility | 12 | | captured and sequestered at least 90% of the total carbon | 13 | | dioxide emissions that the facility would otherwise emit or | 14 | | that sequestration of emissions from prior years has | 15 | | failed, resulting in the release of carbon dioxide into the | 16 | | atmosphere, then the owner of the clean coal SNG facility | 17 | | must pay a penalty of $20 per ton of excess carbon dioxide | 18 | | emissions not to exceed $40,000,000, in any given year | 19 | | which shall be deposited into the Energy Efficiency Trust | 20 | | Fund and distributed pursuant to subsection (b) of Section | 21 | | 6-6 of the Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, and Coal | 22 | | Resources Development Law of 1997. On or before the 5-year | 23 | | anniversary of the execution of the contract and every 5 | 24 | | years thereafter, an expert hired by the owner of the | 25 | | facility with the approval of the Attorney General shall | 26 | | conduct an analysis to determine the cost of sequestration |
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| 1 | | of at least 90% of the total carbon dioxide emissions the | 2 | | plant would otherwise emit. If the analysis shows that the | 3 | | actual annual cost is greater than the penalty, then the | 4 | | penalty shall be increased to equal the actual cost. | 5 | | Provided, however, to the extent that the owner of the | 6 | | facility described in subsection (h) of this Section can | 7 | | demonstrate that the failure was as a result of acts of God | 8 | | (including fire, flood, earthquake, tornado, lightning, | 9 | | hurricane, or other natural disaster); any amendment, | 10 | | modification, or abrogation of any applicable law or | 11 | | regulation that would prevent performance; war; invasion; | 12 | | act of foreign enemies; hostilities (regardless of whether | 13 | | war is declared); civil war; rebellion; revolution; | 14 | | insurrection; military or usurped power or confiscation; | 15 | | terrorist activities; civil disturbance; riots; | 16 | | nationalization; sabotage; blockage; or embargo, the owner | 17 | | of the facility described in subsection (h) of this Section | 18 | | shall not be subject to a penalty if and only if (i) it | 19 | | promptly provides notice of its failure to the Commission; | 20 | | (ii) as soon as practicable and consistent with any order | 21 | | or direction from the Commission, it submits to the | 22 | | Commission proposed modifications to its carbon capture | 23 | | and sequestration plan; and (iii) it carries out its | 24 | | proposed modifications in the manner and time directed by | 25 | | the Commission. | 26 | | If the Commission finds that the facility has not |
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| 1 | | satisfied each of these requirements, then the facility | 2 | | shall be subject to the penalty. If the owner of the clean | 3 | | coal SNG facility captured and sequestered more than 90% of | 4 | | the total carbon dioxide emissions that the facility would | 5 | | otherwise emit, then the owner of the facility may credit | 6 | | such additional amounts to reduce the amount of any future | 7 | | penalty to be paid. The penalty resulting from the failure | 8 | | to capture and sequester at least the minimum amount of | 9 | | carbon dioxide shall not be passed on to a utility or its | 10 | | customers. | 11 | | If the clean coal SNG facility fails to meet the | 12 | | requirements specified in this subsection (h-5), then the | 13 | | Attorney General, on behalf of the People of the State of | 14 | | Illinois, shall bring an action to enforce the obligations | 15 | | related to the facility set forth in this subsection (h-5), | 16 | | including any penalty payments owed, but not including the | 17 | | physical obligation to capture and sequester at least 90% | 18 | | of the total carbon dioxide emissions that the facility | 19 | | would otherwise emit. Such action may be filed in any | 20 | | circuit court in Illinois. By entering into a contract | 21 | | pursuant to subsection (h) of this Section, the clean coal | 22 | | SNG facility agrees to waive any objections to venue or to | 23 | | the jurisdiction of the court with regard to the Attorney | 24 | | General's action under this subsection (h-5). | 25 | | Compliance with the sequestration requirements and any | 26 | | penalty requirements specified in this subsection (h-5) |
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| 1 | | for the clean coal SNG facility shall be assessed annually | 2 | | by the Commission, which may in its discretion retain an | 3 | | expert to facilitate its assessment. If any expert is | 4 | | retained by the Commission, then the clean coal SNG | 5 | | facility shall pay for the expert's reasonable fees, and | 6 | | such costs shall not be passed through to the utility or | 7 | | its customers. | 8 | | In addition, carbon dioxide emission credits received | 9 | | by the clean coal SNG facility in connection with | 10 | | sequestration of carbon dioxide from the facility must be | 11 | | sold in a timely fashion with any revenue, less applicable | 12 | | fees and expenses and any expenses required to be paid by | 13 | | facility for carbon dioxide transportation or | 14 | | sequestration, deposited into the reconciliation account | 15 | | within 30 days after receipt of such funds by the owner of | 16 | | the clean coal SNG facility. | 17 | | The clean coal SNG facility is prohibited from | 18 | | transporting or sequestering carbon dioxide unless the | 19 | | owner of the carbon dioxide pipeline that transfers the | 20 | | carbon dioxide from the facility and the owner of the | 21 | | sequestration site where the carbon dioxide captured by the | 22 | | facility is stored has acquired all applicable permits | 23 | | under applicable State and federal laws, statutes, rules, | 24 | | or regulations prior to the transfer or sequestration of | 25 | | carbon dioxide. The responsibility for compliance with the | 26 | | sequestration requirements specified in this subsection |
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| 1 | | (h-5) for the clean coal SNG facility shall reside solely | 2 | | with the clean coal SNG facility, regardless of whether the | 3 | | facility has contracted with another party to capture, | 4 | | transport, or sequester carbon dioxide. | 5 | | (C) If, in any year, the owner of a clean coal SNG | 6 | | brownfield facility fails to demonstrate that the clean | 7 | | coal SNG brownfield facility captured and sequestered at | 8 | | least 85% of the total carbon dioxide emissions that the | 9 | | facility would otherwise emit, then the owner of the clean | 10 | | coal SNG brownfield facility must pay a penalty of $20 per | 11 | | ton of excess carbon emissions up to $20,000,000, which | 12 | | shall be deposited into the Energy Efficiency Trust Fund | 13 | | and distributed pursuant to subsection (b) of Section 6-6 | 14 | | of the Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, and Coal | 15 | | Resources Development Law of 1997. Provided, however, to | 16 | | the extent that the owner of the clean coal SNG brownfield | 17 | | facility can demonstrate that the failure was as a result | 18 | | of acts of God (including fire, flood, earthquake, tornado, | 19 | | lightning, hurricane, or other natural disaster); any | 20 | | amendment, modification, or abrogation of any applicable | 21 | | law or regulation that would prevent performance; war; | 22 | | invasion; act of foreign enemies; hostilities (regardless | 23 | | of whether war is declared); civil war; rebellion; | 24 | | revolution; insurrection; military or usurped power or | 25 | | confiscation; terrorist activities; civil disturbances; | 26 | | riots; nationalization; sabotage; blockage; or embargo, |
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| 1 | | the owner of the clean coal SNG brownfield facility shall | 2 | | not be subject to a penalty if and only if (i) it promptly | 3 | | provides notice of its failure to the Commission; (ii) as | 4 | | soon as practicable and consistent with any order or | 5 | | direction from the Commission, it submits to the Commission | 6 | | proposed modifications to its carbon capture and | 7 | | sequestration plan; and (iii) it carries out its proposed | 8 | | modifications in the manner and time directed by the | 9 | | Commission. If the Commission finds that the facility has | 10 | | not satisfied each of these requirements, then the facility | 11 | | shall be subject to the penalty. If the owner of a clean | 12 | | coal SNG brownfield facility demonstrates that the clean | 13 | | coal SNG brownfield facility captured and sequestered more | 14 | | than 85% of the total carbon emissions that the facility | 15 | | would otherwise emit, the owner of the clean coal SNG | 16 | | brownfield facility may credit such additional amounts to | 17 | | reduce the amount of any future penalty to be paid. The | 18 | | penalty resulting from the failure to capture and sequester | 19 | | at least the minimum amount of carbon dioxide shall not be | 20 | | passed on to a utility or its customers. | 21 | | In addition to any penalty for the clean coal SNG | 22 | | brownfield facility's failure to capture and sequester at | 23 | | least its minimum sequestration requirement, the Attorney | 24 | | General, on behalf of the People of the State of Illinois, | 25 | | shall bring an action for specific performance of this | 26 | | subsection (h-5). Such action may be filed in any circuit |
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| 1 | | court in Illinois. By entering into a sourcing agreement | 2 | | pursuant to subsection (h-1) of this Section, the clean | 3 | | coal SNG brownfield facility agrees to waive any objections | 4 | | to venue or to the jurisdiction of the court with regard to | 5 | | the Attorney General's action for specific performance | 6 | | under this subsection (h-5). | 7 | | Compliance with the sequestration requirements and | 8 | | penalty requirements specified in this subsection (h-5) | 9 | | for the clean coal SNG brownfield facility shall be | 10 | | assessed annually by the Commission, which may in its | 11 | | discretion retain an expert to facilitate its assessment. | 12 | | If an expert is retained by the Commission, then the clean | 13 | | coal SNG brownfield facility shall pay for the expert's | 14 | | reasonable fees, and such costs shall not be passed through | 15 | | to a utility or its customers. | 16 | | Responsibility for compliance with the sequestration | 17 | | requirements specified in this subsection (h-5) for the | 18 | | clean coal SNG brownfield facility shall reside solely with | 19 | | the clean coal SNG brownfield facility regardless of | 20 | | whether the facility has contracted with another party to | 21 | | capture, transport, or sequester carbon dioxide. | 22 | | (h-7) Sequestration permitting, oversight, and | 23 | | investigations. | 24 | | (1) No clean coal facility or clean coal SNG brownfield | 25 | | facility may transport or sequester carbon dioxide unless | 26 | | the Commission approves the method of carbon dioxide |
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| 1 | | transportation or sequestration. Such approval shall be | 2 | | required regardless of whether the facility has contracted | 3 | | with another to transport or sequester the carbon dioxide. | 4 | | Nothing in this subsection (h-7) shall release the owner or | 5 | | operator of a carbon dioxide sequestration site or carbon | 6 | | dioxide pipeline from any other permitting requirements | 7 | | under applicable State and federal laws, statutes, rules, | 8 | | or regulations. | 9 | | (2) The Commission shall review carbon dioxide | 10 | | transportation and sequestration methods proposed by a | 11 | | clean coal facility or a clean coal SNG brownfield facility | 12 | | and shall approve those methods it deems reasonable and | 13 | | cost-effective. For purposes of this review, | 14 | | "cost-effective" means a commercially reasonable price for | 15 | | similar carbon dioxide transportation or sequestration | 16 | | techniques. In determining whether sequestration is | 17 | | reasonable and cost-effective, the Commission may consult | 18 | | with the Illinois State Geological Survey and retain third | 19 | | parties to assist in its determination, provided that such | 20 | | third parties shall not own or control any direct or | 21 | | indirect interest in the facility that is proposing the | 22 | | carbon dioxide transportation or the carbon dioxide | 23 | | sequestration method and shall have no contractual | 24 | | relationship with that facility. If a third party is | 25 | | retained by the Commission, then the facility proposing the | 26 | | carbon dioxide transportation or sequestration method |
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| 1 | | shall pay for the expert's reasonable fees, and these costs | 2 | | shall not be passed through to a utility or its customers. | 3 | | No later than 6 months prior to the date upon which the | 4 | | owner intends to commence construction of a clean coal | 5 | | facility or the clean coal SNG brownfield facility, the | 6 | | owner of the facility shall file with the Commission a | 7 | | carbon dioxide transportation or sequestration plan. The | 8 | | Commission shall hold a public hearing within 30 days after | 9 | | receipt of the facility's carbon dioxide transportation or | 10 | | sequestration plan. The Commission shall post notice of the | 11 | | review on its website upon submission of a carbon dioxide | 12 | | transportation or sequestration method and shall accept | 13 | | written public comments. The Commission shall take the | 14 | | comments into account when making its decision. | 15 | | The Commission may not approve a carbon dioxide | 16 | | sequestration method if the owner or operator of the | 17 | | sequestration site has not received (i) an Underground | 18 | | Injection Control permit from the Illinois Environmental | 19 | | Protection Agency pursuant to the Environmental Protection | 20 | | Act; (ii) an Underground Injection Control permit from the | 21 | | Illinois Department of Natural Resources pursuant to the | 22 | | Illinois Oil and Gas Act; or (iii) a permit similar to | 23 | | items (i) or (ii) from the state in which the sequestration | 24 | | site is located if the sequestration will take place | 25 | | outside of Illinois. The Commission shall approve or deny | 26 | | the carbon dioxide transportation or sequestration method |
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| 1 | | within 90 days after the receipt of all required | 2 | | information. | 3 | | (3) At least annually, the Illinois Environmental | 4 | | Protection Agency shall inspect all carbon dioxide | 5 | | sequestration sites in Illinois. The Illinois | 6 | | Environmental Protection Agency may, as often as deemed | 7 | | necessary, monitor and conduct investigations of those | 8 | | sites. The owner or operator of the sequestration site must | 9 | | cooperate with the Illinois Environmental Protection | 10 | | Agency investigations of carbon dioxide sequestration | 11 | | sites. | 12 | | If the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency | 13 | | determines at any time a site creates conditions that | 14 | | warrant the issuance of a seal order under Section 34 of | 15 | | the Environmental Protection Act, then the Illinois | 16 | | Environmental Protection Agency shall seal the site | 17 | | pursuant to the Environmental Protection Act. If the | 18 | | Illinois Environmental Protection Agency determines at any | 19 | | time a carbon dioxide sequestration site creates | 20 | | conditions that warrant the institution of a civil action | 21 | | for an injunction under Section 43 of the Environmental | 22 | | Protection Act, then the Illinois Environmental Protection | 23 | | Agency shall request the State's Attorney or the Attorney | 24 | | General institute such action. The Illinois Environmental | 25 | | Protection Agency shall provide notice of any such actions | 26 | | as soon as possible on its website. The SNG facility shall |
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| 1 | | incur all reasonable costs associated with any such | 2 | | inspection or monitoring of the sequestration sites, and | 3 | | these costs shall not be recoverable from utilities or | 4 | | their customers. | 5 | | (4) (Blank). At least annually, the Commission shall | 6 | | inspect all carbon dioxide pipelines in Illinois that | 7 | | transport carbon dioxide to ensure the safety and | 8 | | feasibility of those pipelines. The Commission may, as | 9 | | often as deemed necessary, monitor and conduct | 10 | | investigations of those pipelines. The owner or operator of | 11 | | the pipeline must cooperate with the Commission | 12 | | investigations of the carbon dioxide pipelines. | 13 | | In circumstances whereby a carbon dioxide pipeline | 14 | | creates a substantial danger to the environment or to the | 15 | | public health of persons or to the welfare of persons where | 16 | | such danger is to the livelihood of such persons, the | 17 | | State's Attorney or Attorney General, upon the request of | 18 | | the Commission or on his or her own motion, may institute a | 19 | | civil action for an immediate injunction to halt any | 20 | | discharge or other activity causing or contributing to the | 21 | | danger or to require such other action as may be necessary. | 22 | | The court may issue an ex parte order and shall schedule a | 23 | | hearing on the matter not later than 3 working days after | 24 | | the date of injunction. The Commission shall provide notice | 25 | | of any such actions as soon as possible on its website. The | 26 | | SNG facility shall incur all reasonable costs associated |
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| 1 | | with any such inspection or monitoring of the sequestration | 2 | | sites, and these costs shall not be recoverable from a | 3 | | utility or its customers. | 4 | | (h-9) The clean coal SNG brownfield facility shall have the | 5 | | right to recover prudently incurred increased costs or reduced | 6 | | revenue resulting from any new or amendatory legislation or | 7 | | other action. The State of Illinois pledges that the State will | 8 | | not enact any law or take any action to: | 9 | | (1) break, or repeal the authority for, sourcing | 10 | | agreements approved by the Commission and entered into | 11 | | between public utilities and the clean coal SNG brownfield | 12 | | facility; | 13 | | (2) deny public utilities full cost recovery for their | 14 | | costs incurred under those sourcing agreements; or | 15 | | (3) deny the clean coal SNG brownfield facility full | 16 | | cost and revenue recovery as provided under those sourcing | 17 | | agreements that are recoverable pursuant to subsection | 18 | | (h-3) of this Section. | 19 | | These pledges are for the benefit of the parties to those | 20 | | sourcing agreements and the issuers and holders of bonds or | 21 | | other obligations issued or incurred to finance or refinance | 22 | | the clean coal SNG brownfield facility. The clean coal SNG | 23 | | brownfield facility is authorized to include and refer to these | 24 | | pledges in any financing agreement into which it may enter in | 25 | | regard to those sourcing agreements. | 26 | | The State of Illinois retains and reserves all other rights |
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| 1 | | to enact new or amendatory legislation or take any other | 2 | | action, without impairment of the right of the clean coal SNG | 3 | | brownfield facility to recover prudently incurred increased | 4 | | costs or reduced revenue resulting from the new or amendatory | 5 | | legislation or other action, including, but not limited to, | 6 | | such legislation or other action that would (i) directly or | 7 | | indirectly raise the costs the clean coal SNG brownfield | 8 | | facility must incur; (ii) directly or indirectly place | 9 | | additional restrictions, regulations, or requirements on the | 10 | | clean coal SNG brownfield facility; (iii) prohibit | 11 | | sequestration in general or prohibit a specific sequestration | 12 | | method or project; or (iv) increase minimum sequestration | 13 | | requirements for the clean coal SNG brownfield facility to the | 14 | | extent technically feasible. The clean coal SNG brownfield | 15 | | facility shall have the right to recover prudently incurred | 16 | | increased costs or reduced revenue resulting from the new or | 17 | | amendatory legislation or other action as described in this | 18 | | subsection (h-9). | 19 | | (h-10) Contract costs for SNG incurred by an Illinois gas | 20 | | utility are reasonable and prudent and recoverable through the | 21 | | purchased gas adjustment clause and are not subject to review | 22 | | or disallowance by the Commission. Contract costs are costs | 23 | | incurred by the utility under the terms of a contract that | 24 | | incorporates the terms stated in subsection (h) of this Section | 25 | | as confirmed in writing by the Illinois Power Agency as set | 26 | | forth in subsection (h) of this Section, which confirmation |
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| 1 | | shall be deemed conclusive, or as a consequence of or condition | 2 | | to its performance under the contract, including (i) amounts | 3 | | paid for SNG under the SNG contract and (ii) costs of | 4 | | transportation and storage services of SNG purchased from | 5 | | interstate pipelines under federally approved tariffs. The | 6 | | Illinois gas utility shall initiate a clean coal SNG facility | 7 | | rider mechanism that (A) shall be applicable to all customers | 8 | | who receive transportation service from the utility, (B) shall | 9 | | be designed to have an equal percentage impact on the | 10 | | transportation services rates of each class of the utility's | 11 | | total customers, and (C) shall accurately reflect the net | 12 | | customer savings, if any, and above market costs, if any, under | 13 | | the SNG contract. Any contract, the terms of which have been | 14 | | confirmed in writing by the Illinois Power Agency as set forth | 15 | | in subsection (h) of this Section and the performance of the | 16 | | parties under such contract cannot be grounds for challenging | 17 | | prudence or cost recovery by the utility through the purchased | 18 | | gas adjustment clause, and in such cases, the Commission is | 19 | | directed not to consider, and has no authority to consider, any | 20 | | attempted challenges. | 21 | | The contracts entered into by Illinois gas utilities | 22 | | pursuant to subsection (h) of this Section shall provide that | 23 | | the utility retains the right to terminate the contract without | 24 | | further obligation or liability to any party if the contract | 25 | | has been impaired as a result of any legislative, | 26 | | administrative, judicial, or other governmental action that is |
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| 1 | | taken that eliminates all or part of the prudence protection of | 2 | | this subsection (h-10) or denies the recoverability of all or | 3 | | part of the contract costs through the purchased gas adjustment | 4 | | clause. Should any Illinois gas utility exercise its right | 5 | | under this subsection (h-10) to terminate the contract, all | 6 | | contract costs incurred prior to termination are and will be | 7 | | deemed reasonable, prudent, and recoverable as and when | 8 | | incurred and not subject to review or disallowance by the | 9 | | Commission. Any order, issued by the State requiring or | 10 | | authorizing the discontinuation of the merchant function, | 11 | | defined as the purchase and sale of natural gas by an Illinois | 12 | | gas utility for the ultimate consumer in its service territory | 13 | | shall include provisions necessary to prevent the impairment of | 14 | | the value of any contract hereunder over its full term. | 15 | | (h-11) All costs incurred by an Illinois gas utility in | 16 | | procuring SNG from a clean coal SNG brownfield facility | 17 | | pursuant to subsection (h-1) or a third-party marketer pursuant | 18 | | to subsection (h-1) are reasonable and prudent and recoverable | 19 | | through the purchased gas adjustment clause in conjunction with
| 20 | | a SNG brownfield facility rider mechanism and are not subject | 21 | | to review or disallowance by the Commission; provided that
if a | 22 | | utility is required by law or otherwise elects to connect
the | 23 | | clean coal SNG brownfield facility to an interstate
pipeline, | 24 | | then the utility shall be entitled to recover
pursuant to its | 25 | | tariffs all just and reasonable costs that are
prudently | 26 | | incurred. Sourcing agreement costs are costs incurred by the |
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| 1 | | utility under the terms of a sourcing agreement that | 2 | | incorporates the terms stated in subsection (h-1) of this | 3 | | Section as approved by the Commission as set forth in | 4 | | subsection (h-4) of this Section, which approval shall be | 5 | | deemed conclusive, or as a consequence of or condition to its | 6 | | performance under the contract, including (i) amounts paid for | 7 | | SNG under the SNG contract and (ii) costs of transportation and | 8 | | storage services of SNG purchased from interstate pipelines | 9 | | under federally approved tariffs. Any sourcing agreement, the | 10 | | terms of which have been approved by the Commission as set | 11 | | forth in subsection (h-4) of this Section, and the performance | 12 | | of the parties under the sourcing agreement cannot be grounds | 13 | | for challenging prudence or cost recovery by the utility, and | 14 | | in these cases, the Commission is directed not to consider, and | 15 | | has no authority to consider, any attempted challenges. | 16 | | (h-15) Reconciliation account. The clean coal SNG facility | 17 | | shall establish a reconciliation account for the benefit of the | 18 | | retail customers of the utilities that have entered into | 19 | | contracts with the clean coal SNG facility pursuant to | 20 | | subsection (h). The reconciliation account shall be maintained | 21 | | and administered by an independent trustee that is mutually | 22 | | agreed upon by the owners of the clean coal SNG facility, the | 23 | | utilities, and the Commission in an interest-bearing account in | 24 | | accordance with the following: | 25 | | (1) The clean coal SNG facility shall conduct an | 26 | | analysis annually within 60 days after receiving the |
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| 1 | | necessary cost information, which shall be provided by the | 2 | | gas utility within 6 months after the end of the preceding | 3 | | calendar year, to determine (i) the average annual contract | 4 | | SNG cost, which shall be calculated as the total amount | 5 | | paid for SNG purchased from the clean coal SNG facility | 6 | | over the preceding 12 months, plus the cost to the utility | 7 | | of the required transportation and storage services of SNG, | 8 | | divided by the total number of MMBtus of SNG actually | 9 | | purchased from the clean coal SNG facility in the preceding | 10 | | 12 months under the utility contract; (ii) the average | 11 | | annual natural gas purchase cost, which shall be calculated | 12 | | as the total annual supply costs paid for baseload natural | 13 | | gas (excluding any SNG) purchased by such utility over the | 14 | | preceding 12 months plus the costs of transportation and | 15 | | storage services of such natural gas (excluding such costs | 16 | | for SNG), divided by the total number of MMbtus of baseload | 17 | | natural gas (excluding SNG) actually purchased by the | 18 | | utility during the year; (iii) the cost differential, which | 19 | | shall be the difference between the average annual contract | 20 | | SNG cost and the average annual natural gas purchase cost; | 21 | | and (iv) the revenue share target which shall be the cost | 22 | | differential multiplied by the total amount of SNG | 23 | | purchased over the preceding 12 months under such utility | 24 | | contract. | 25 | | (A) To the extent the annual average contract SNG | 26 | | cost is less than the annual average natural gas |
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| 1 | | purchase cost, the utility shall credit an amount equal | 2 | | to the revenue share target to the reconciliation | 3 | | account. Such credit payment shall be made monthly | 4 | | starting within 30 days after the completed analysis in | 5 | | this subsection (h-15) and based on collections from | 6 | | all customers via a line item charge in all customer | 7 | | bills designed to have an equal percentage impact on | 8 | | the transportation services of each class of | 9 | | customers. Credit payments made pursuant to this | 10 | | subparagraph (A) shall be deemed prudent and | 11 | | reasonable and not subject to Commission prudence | 12 | | review. | 13 | | (B) To the extent the annual average contract SNG | 14 | | cost is greater than the annual average natural gas | 15 | | purchase cost, the reconciliation account shall be | 16 | | used to provide a credit equal to the revenue share | 17 | | target to the utilities to be used to reduce the | 18 | | utility's natural gas costs through the purchased gas | 19 | | adjustment clause. Such payment shall be made within 30 | 20 | | days after the completed analysis pursuant to this | 21 | | subsection (h-15), but only to the extent that the | 22 | | reconciliation account has a positive balance. | 23 | | (2) At the conclusion of the term of the SNG contracts | 24 | | pursuant to subsection (h) and the completion of the final | 25 | | annual analysis pursuant to this subsection (h-15), to the | 26 | | extent the facility owes any amount to retail customers, |
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| 1 | | amounts in the account shall be credited to retail | 2 | | customers to the extent the owed amount is repaid; 50% of | 3 | | any additional amount in the reconciliation account shall | 4 | | be distributed to the utilities to be used to reduce the | 5 | | utilities' natural gas costs through the purchase gas | 6 | | adjustment clause with the remaining amount distributed to | 7 | | the clean coal SNG facility. Such payment shall be made | 8 | | within 30 days after the last completed analysis pursuant | 9 | | to this subsection (h-15). If the facility has repaid all | 10 | | owed amounts, if any, to retail customers and has | 11 | | distributed 50% of any additional amount in the account to | 12 | | the utilities, then the owners of the clean coal SNG | 13 | | facility shall have no further obligation to the utility or | 14 | | the retail customers. | 15 | | If, at the conclusion of the term of the contracts | 16 | | pursuant to subsection (h) and the completion of the final | 17 | | annual analysis pursuant to this subsection (h-15), the | 18 | | facility owes any amount to retail customers and the | 19 | | account has been depleted, then the clean coal SNG facility | 20 | | shall be liable for any remaining amount owed to the retail | 21 | | customers. The clean coal SNG facility shall market the | 22 | | daily production of SNG and distribute on a monthly basis | 23 | | 5% of the amounts collected with respect to such future | 24 | | sales to the utilities in proportion to each utility's SNG | 25 | | contract to be used to reduce the utility's natural gas | 26 | | costs through the purchase gas adjustment clause; such |
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| 1 | | payments to the utility shall continue until either 15 | 2 | | years after the conclusion of the contract or such time as | 3 | | the sum of such payments equals the remaining amount owed | 4 | | to the retail customers at the end of the contract, | 5 | | whichever is earlier. If the debt to the retail customers | 6 | | is not repaid within 15 years after the conclusion of the | 7 | | contract, then the owner of the clean coal SNG facility | 8 | | must sell the facility, and all proceeds from that sale | 9 | | must be used to repay any amount owed to the retail | 10 | | customers under this subsection (h-15). | 11 | | The retail customers shall have first priority in | 12 | | recovering that debt above any creditors, except the | 13 | | secured lenders to the extent that the secured lenders have | 14 | | any secured debt outstanding, including any parent | 15 | | companies or affiliates of the clean coal SNG facility. | 16 | | (3) 50% of all additional net revenue, defined as | 17 | | miscellaneous net revenue after cost allowance and above | 18 | | the budgeted estimate established for revenue pursuant to | 19 | | subsection (h), including sale of substitute natural gas | 20 | | derived from the clean coal SNG facility above the | 21 | | nameplate capacity of the facility and other by-products | 22 | | produced by the facility, shall be credited to the | 23 | | reconciliation account on an annual basis with such payment | 24 | | made within 30 days after the end of each calendar year | 25 | | during the term of the contract. | 26 | | (4) The clean coal SNG facility shall each year, |
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| 1 | | starting in the facility's first year of commercial | 2 | | operation, file with the Commission, in such form as the | 3 | | Commission shall require, a report as to the reconciliation | 4 | | account. The annual report must contain the following | 5 | | information: | 6 | | (A) the revenue share target amount; | 7 | | (B) the amount credited or debited to the | 8 | | reconciliation account during the year; | 9 | | (C) the amount credited to the utilities to be used | 10 | | to reduce the utilities natural gas costs though the | 11 | | purchase gas adjustment clause; | 12 | | (D) the total amount of reconciliation account at | 13 | | the beginning and end of the year; | 14 | | (E) the total amount of consumer savings to date; | 15 | | and | 16 | | (F) any additional information the Commission may | 17 | | require. | 18 | | When any report is erroneous or defective or appears to the | 19 | | Commission to be erroneous or defective, the Commission may | 20 | | notify the clean coal SNG facility to amend the report within | 21 | | 30 days; before or after the termination of the 30-day period, | 22 | | the Commission may examine the trustee of the reconciliation | 23 | | account or the officers, agents, employees, books, records, or | 24 | | accounts of the clean coal SNG facility and correct such items | 25 | | in the report as upon such examination the Commission may find | 26 | | defective or erroneous. All reports shall be under oath. |
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| 1 | | All reports made to the Commission by the clean coal SNG | 2 | | facility and the contents of the reports shall be open to | 3 | | public inspection and shall be deemed a public record under the | 4 | | Freedom of Information Act. Such reports shall be preserved in | 5 | | the office of the Commission. The Commission shall publish an | 6 | | annual summary of the reports prior to February 1 of the | 7 | | following year. The annual summary shall be made available to | 8 | | the public on the Commission's website and shall be submitted | 9 | | to the General Assembly. | 10 | | Any facility that fails to file the report required under | 11 | | this paragraph (4) to the Commission within the time specified | 12 | | or to make specific answer to any question propounded by the | 13 | | Commission within 30 days after the time it is lawfully | 14 | | required to do so, or within such further time not to exceed 90 | 15 | | days as may be allowed by the Commission in its discretion, | 16 | | shall pay a penalty of $500 to the Commission for each day it | 17 | | is in default. | 18 | | Any person who willfully makes any false report to the | 19 | | Commission or to any member, officer, or employee thereof, any | 20 | | person who willfully in a report withholds or fails to provide | 21 | | material information to which the Commission is entitled under | 22 | | this paragraph (4) and which information is either required to | 23 | | be filed by statute, rule, regulation, order, or decision of | 24 | | the Commission or has been requested by the Commission, and any | 25 | | person who willfully aids or abets such person shall be guilty | 26 | | of a Class A misdemeanor. |
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| 1 | | (h-20) The General Assembly authorizes the Illinois | 2 | | Finance Authority to issue bonds to the maximum extent | 3 | | permitted to finance coal gasification facilities described in | 4 | | this Section, which constitute both "industrial projects" | 5 | | under Article 801 of the Illinois Finance Authority Act and | 6 | | "clean coal and energy projects" under Sections 825-65 through | 7 | | 825-75 of the Illinois Finance Authority Act. | 8 | | Administrative costs incurred by the Illinois Finance | 9 | | Authority in performance of this subsection (h-20) shall be | 10 | | subject to reimbursement by the clean coal SNG facility on | 11 | | terms as the Illinois Finance Authority and the clean coal SNG | 12 | | facility may agree. The utility and its customers shall have no | 13 | | obligation to reimburse the clean coal SNG facility or the | 14 | | Illinois Finance Authority for any such costs. | 15 | | (h-25) The State of Illinois pledges that the State may not | 16 | | enact any law or take any action to (1) break or repeal the | 17 | | authority for SNG purchase contracts entered into between | 18 | | public gas utilities and the clean coal SNG facility pursuant | 19 | | to subsection (h) of this Section or (2) deny public gas | 20 | | utilities their full cost recovery for contract costs, as | 21 | | defined in subsection (h-10), that are incurred under such SNG | 22 | | purchase contracts. These pledges are for the benefit of the | 23 | | parties to such SNG purchase contracts and the issuers and | 24 | | holders of bonds or other obligations issued or incurred to | 25 | | finance or refinance the clean coal SNG facility. The | 26 | | beneficiaries are authorized to include and refer to these |
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| 1 | | pledges in any finance agreement into which they may enter in | 2 | | regard to such contracts. | 3 | | (h-30) The State of Illinois retains and reserves all other | 4 | | rights to enact new or amendatory legislation or take any other | 5 | | action, including, but not limited to, such legislation or | 6 | | other action that would (1) directly or indirectly raise the | 7 | | costs that the clean coal SNG facility must incur; (2) directly | 8 | | or indirectly place additional restrictions, regulations, or | 9 | | requirements on the clean coal SNG facility; (3) prohibit | 10 | | sequestration in general or prohibit a specific sequestration | 11 | | method or project; or (4) increase minimum sequestration | 12 | | requirements. | 13 | | (i) If a gas utility or an affiliate of a gas utility has | 14 | | an ownership interest in any entity that produces or sells | 15 | | synthetic natural gas, Article VII of this Act shall apply.
| 16 | | (Source: P.A. 96-1364, eff. 7-28-10; 97-96, eff. 7-13-11; | 17 | | 97-239, eff. 8-2-11; 97-630, eff. 12-8-11.) | 18 | | Section 10. The Illinois Gas Pipeline Safety Act is amended | 19 | | by changing Sections 2.02, 2.03, 2.04, and 3 as follows:
| 20 | | (220 ILCS 20/2.02) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 552.2)
| 21 | | Sec. 2.02.
"Gas" means natural gas, flammable gas or gas | 22 | | which is toxic or
corrosive. "Gas" also means carbon dioxide in | 23 | | any physical form, whenever transported by pipeline for the | 24 | | purpose of sequestration.
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| 1 | | (Source: P.A. 97-96, eff. 7-13-11; 97-239, eff. 8-2-11.)
| 2 | | (220 ILCS 20/2.03) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 552.3)
| 3 | | Sec. 2.03.
"Transportation of gas" means the gathering, | 4 | | transmission, or
distribution of gas by pipeline or its | 5 | | storage, within this State and not
subject to the jurisdiction | 6 | | of the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission under the
Natural | 7 | | Gas Act, except that it includes the transmission of gas | 8 | | through
pipeline facilities within this State that transport | 9 | | gas from an interstate
gas pipeline to a direct sales customer | 10 | | within this State purchasing gas
for its own consumption. | 11 | | "Transportation of gas" also includes
the conveyance of gas | 12 | | from a gas main through the primary fuel line to the
outside | 13 | | wall of residential
premises. If the gas meter is placed within | 14 | | 3 feet of the structure, the
utility's responsibility shall end | 15 | | at the outlet side of the meter. "Transportation of gas" also | 16 | | includes the conveyance of carbon dioxide in any physical form | 17 | | for the purpose of sequestration.
| 18 | | (Source: P.A. 97-96, eff. 7-13-11; 97-239, eff. 8-2-11.)
| 19 | | (220 ILCS 20/2.04) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 552.4)
| 20 | | Sec. 2.04.
"Pipeline facilities" includes new and existing | 21 | | pipe rights-of-way and
any equipment, facility, or building | 22 | | used in the transportation of gas
or the
treatment of gas | 23 | | during the course of transportation and
includes facilities | 24 | | within this State that transport gas from an interstate
gas |
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| 1 | | pipeline to a direct sales customer within this State | 2 | | purchasing gas
for its own consumption, but
"rights-of-way" as | 3 | | used in this Act does not authorize the Commission to
| 4 | | prescribe, under this Act, the location or
routing of any | 5 | | pipeline facility. "Pipeline facilities" also includes
new and | 6 | | existing pipes and lines and any other equipment, facility, or
| 7 | | structure, except customer-owned branch lines connected to the | 8 | | primary fuel
lines, used to convey gas from a gas main to the | 9 | | outside wall of
residential premises, and any person who | 10 | | provides gas service directly to its
residential customer | 11 | | through these facilities shall be deemed to operate
such | 12 | | pipeline facilities for purposes of this Act irrespective of | 13 | | the ownership
of the facilities or the location of the | 14 | | facilities with respect to the
meter, except that a person who | 15 | | provides gas service to a "master meter
system", as that term | 16 | | is defined at 49 C.F.R. Section 191.3, shall not be
deemed to | 17 | | operate any facilities downstream of the master meter. | 18 | | "Pipeline facilities" also includes new and existing pipe | 19 | | rights-of-way and any equipment, facility, or building used in | 20 | | the transportation of carbon dioxide in any physical form for | 21 | | the purpose of sequestration.
| 22 | | (Source: P.A. 97-96, eff. 7-13-11; 97-239, eff. 8-2-11.)
| 23 | | (220 ILCS 20/3) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 553)
| 24 | | Sec. 3.
(a) As soon as practicable, but not later than 3 | 25 | | months after the
effective date of this Act, the Commission |
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| 1 | | shall adopt rules establishing
minimum safety standards for the | 2 | | transportation of gas and for pipeline
facilities. Such rules | 3 | | shall be at least as inclusive, as stringent, and
compatible | 4 | | with, the minimum safety standards adopted by the Secretary of
| 5 | | Transportation under the Federal Act. Thereafter, the | 6 | | Commission shall
maintain such rules so that the rules are at | 7 | | least as inclusive, as
stringent, and compatible with, the | 8 | | minimum standards from time to time in
effect under the Federal | 9 | | Act. The Commission shall also adopt rules establishing minimum | 10 | | safety standards for the transportation of carbon dioxide in | 11 | | any physical form for the purpose of sequestration and for | 12 | | pipeline facilities used for that function.
| 13 | | (b) Standards established under this Act may apply to the | 14 | | design,
installation, inspection, testing, construction, | 15 | | extension, operation,
replacement, and maintenance of pipeline | 16 | | facilities. Standards affecting
the design, installation, | 17 | | construction, initial inspection and initial
testing are not | 18 | | applicable to pipeline facilities in existence on the date
such | 19 | | standards are adopted. Whenever the Commission finds a | 20 | | particular
facility to be hazardous to life or property, it may | 21 | | require the person
operating such facility to take the steps | 22 | | necessary to remove the hazard.
| 23 | | (c) Standards established by the Commission under this Act | 24 | | shall,
subject to paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section 3, be | 25 | | practicable and
designed to meet the need for pipeline safety. | 26 | | In prescribing such
standards, the Commission shall consider: |
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| 1 | | similar standards established in
other states; relevant | 2 | | available pipeline safety data; whether such
standards are | 3 | | appropriate for the particular type of pipeline
| 4 | | transportation; the reasonableness of any proposed standards; | 5 | | and the
extent to which such standards will contribute to | 6 | | public safety.
| 7 | | Rules adopted under this Act are subject to "The Illinois | 8 | | Administrative
Procedure Act", approved September 22, 1975, as | 9 | | amended.
| 10 | | (Source: P.A. 97-96, eff. 7-13-11; 97-239, eff. 8-2-11.)
| 11 | | Section 15. The Carbon Dioxide Transportation and | 12 | | Sequestration Act is amended by changing Section 30 as follows: | 13 | | (220 ILCS 75/30)
| 14 | | Sec. 30. Safety. Inasmuch as the regulation of the | 15 | | construction, maintenance, and operation of pipelines | 16 | | transporting carbon dioxide, whether interstate or intrastate, | 17 | | falls within the statutory and regulatory jurisdiction of the | 18 | | Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration of the | 19 | | federal Department of Transportation, each A carbon dioxide | 20 | | pipeline owner shall construct, maintain, and operate all of | 21 | | its pipelines, related facilities, and equipment in this State | 22 | | in a manner that complies fully with all federal laws and | 23 | | regulations governing the construction, maintenance, and | 24 | | operation of pipelines transporting carbon dioxide, as from |
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| 1 | | time to time amended, and which otherwise poses no undue risk | 2 | | to its employees or the public. This Section shall not be | 3 | | interpreted to act in derogation of any such federal laws or | 4 | | regulations. The Commission shall not issue any certificates or | 5 | | permits allowing the construction of a carbon dioxide pipeline | 6 | | until it has adopted federal safety regulations governing the | 7 | | construction, maintenance, and operations of carbon dioxide | 8 | | pipelines, related facilities, and equipment to ensure the | 9 | | safety of pipeline employees and the public.
| 10 | | (Source: P.A. 97-534, eff. 8-23-11.)
| 11 | | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | 12 | | becoming law.
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