OKAWVILLE, IL – Amid a rising crisis of electricity unaffordability for working families and businesses in southern Illinois, Charlie Meier (R-Okawville) is sponsoring two pieces of legislation that would repeal Illinois’ Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) and study how to bring power plants back online to improve electricity affordability and reliability.
Rep. Meier, who is one of the longest-tenured members of the House’s Energy & Environment Committee, says the most recent Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) auction returned a shocking $666.50 per Megawatt-day price across all zones in the summer. That same price just one year ago was $30. Rep. Meier says Illinois’ energy laws and policies are to blame for the recent huge spikes in energy costs.
“In May, my House Republican colleagues and I demanded hearings into the coming summer energy cost crisis, and our calls were flat-out ignored by the Democrats,” Meier said. “Now people and businesses are getting their electricity bills and are finding out just how costly and unworkable the Governor’s Green New Deal policies are. It’s a crisis that was a self-inflicted wound, and people and businesses are suffering great financial hardship because of it.”
Meier says he remains disappointed in the lack of urgency being shown by Illinois Democrats in fixing the electrical grid to ensure reliability and return affordability.
“It’s like they just don’t care, but their citizens are feeling the sting just like my constituents are. So, it’s hard to imagine, but they care more about their pie-in-the-sky ‘green’ energy political talking points than they do about the financial damage they are causing to working families and businesses,” Meier said. “It’s no wonder people and businesses are fleeing Illinois.”
HB 4087 would create a new Power Grid Task Force to study the effect of state laws, including CEJA, on energy prices as well as grid reliability. The task force would also be charged with exploring ways to improve the power supply mix within the state using existing energy resources and new technologies, with the stated goal of ensuring the future stability and reliability of Illinois’ power grid. The bill will consider the present and future needs of Illinois consumers while simultaneously addressing any issues related to the performance and reliability of power generation in Illinois.
HB 4088 would fully repeal CEJA and its 2045 deadline for ending the use of carbon-emitting fossil fuels.
Meier says Illinois is home to hundreds of years of coal, oil, and natural gas reserves.
“We have the resources we need right under our feet to provide our citizens with clean, cheap, reliable, and efficient energy,” Meier said. “Our insane policies have us choking off our own supply of energy and buying electricity from neighboring states, who, by the way, are burning coal at their power plants. It’s time to repeal this ridiculous law and restore sanity to our energy policies in Illinois. The people can’t afford what these Democrats have done to them.”
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