Electrifying Grid News! IL Passes The Illinois Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act
We have some very hopeful and exciting news out of Springfield: State lawmakers have passed the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act (CRGA)!
Our energy grid faces an uncertain future and many complex and connected challenges including: Outdated infrastructure, volatile costs, unreliable power, fossil-fuel dependence, and inequitable access due to affordability. Plus we know that the future brings data centers with huge power needs, and other unknowns! Not to mention that the cost of energy in Illinois has shot up 30% in the past few years, contributing to inequity. But with collaboration between state legislators and various advocacy groups, including the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition, a solution was crafted.
Let’s dig in to learn a little more about what the CRGA is, its impact and actions you can take now.
LEARN: What is The Illinois Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act?
What it Does
The new law (which Gov. Pritzker has said he will sign into law) has a goal of modernizing Illinois’ electric grid and makes our infrastructure cleaner and more resilient. Specifically:
The bill calls for adding three gigawatts of battery storage by 2030. The goal is to have enough storage of energy to make the grid more flexible and resilient. We like reliability in the face of unknown threats, weather or otherwise! This also directly encourages clean energy sources that need storage, like wind or solar.
It creates incentives and funding for things like thermal energy networks (heating/cooling networks using geothermal sources) and lifts the moratorium on nuclear energy.
It authorizes the Illinois Commerce Commission and other agencies to require more transparent planning, and gives municipal utilities and cooperatives more oversight and accountability in energy planning. It also directs agencies to plan for affordable, equitable access to new technologies.
It also provides tools for utilities and consumers to lower bills via energy efficiency and demand‐management programs.
Why It Matters to You
There are some great benefits to this Act!
Lower bills over time: More efficient energy use means savings!
Fewer outages: A stronger grid keeps homes powered during storms or heat waves.
Cleaner power: The CRGA supports renewables and reduces reliance on fossil fuels. Go Green!
Creates good jobs: This law will be a catalyst to create thousands of clean-energy and infrastructure jobs across the state.
Supports home efficiency upgrades: This law will provide more options for upgrading your home, including incentives for solar and battery storage.
DO: What you can do now to make your home more efficient
he process has a long time line, but there are some easy ways for you and hour household to become more efficient now:
Check your energy use. Review your bill and see if your utility offers time-of-use or demand-response programs. (Com Ed does for summer, but with this bill, they might offer year round options. Email them to ask! Mention this new bill – a little pressure always helps companies do the right thing.)
Boost efficiency in your home. Seal drafts, switch to LEDs, and use a smart thermostat. ComEd and Nicor offer free home energy audits, and can provide free and discounted items (like smart thermostats, LED lightbulbs and weather stripping). There are other firms that do more extensive audits for a heftier price. Explore heat‐pump technologies (both for heating and cooling)
Explore renewables. Join a community solar project or learn about home solar for your home. (Beware of scams, and check your sources!)
Get to know Citizens Utility Board resources. For 40 years, this amazing organization has supported Illinois residents as our de facto utility consumer advocate and helped the state’s residents save billions (yes with a B!) dollars.
Stay informed and engaged. Follow updates from the Illinois Commerce Commission and local utilities about how the CRGA rollout is going. Attend local meetings (like Glen Ellyn’s Environmental Commission!) to find out what GE is doing to support this law. Ask!
The Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act is a hopeful sign for Illinois residents. The changes will not be quick and will not be cheap. In fact, to pay for this new infrastructure, residents will see a surcharge beginning in 2030. But this forward-thinking law will set us up for a cleaner and more reliable energy grid for generations.
If you want to read more, here are some of our sources for this newsletter
The Grist climate news
Building Decarbonization Coalition (BDC) News
US Chamber energy prices rising (Illinois)
