Illinois aims to shore up renewables program

By Adam Aton | 01/14/2025 06:11 AM EST

The state is less than halfway toward its goal of drawing 40 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2030.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker speaks during an Aug. 14 interview in Chicago.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker speaks during an Aug. 14 interview in Chicago. Erin Hooley/AP

Legislation awaiting action from Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) would boost the state’s lagging renewable energy supply by making it easier for utilities to pass along unexpected costs to ratepayers.

Illinois funds its renewable portfolio standard with a monthly charge on utility bills. But that system is forecast to face a deficit as soon as 2027, officials say, hampering the state’s ability to contract long-term renewable energy supplies. Illinois is less than halfway toward its statutory target of drawing 40 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.

H.B. 587, which passed both chambers of the Illinois Legislature last week, aims to backstop Illinois’ RPS budget by allowing utilities to recoup unexpected costs of renewable energy projects via another charge to ratepayers.

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The technical fix to Illinois’ RPS has broader implications than one state’s energy mix. With President-elect Donald Trump promising to roll back federal clean energy subsidies, states with major climate goals are grappling with how to finance the energy transition at a time when growing energy demand is pressuring prices higher.

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