Governor Pritzker Issues “Clean Energy Principles”

August 24, 2020

On Friday, August 1, Governor Pritzker released a report on his Administration’s “Clean Energy Principles” to serve as a framework to develop a comprehensive energy bill that will enable Illinois to transition to 100% renewable, clean energy sources.  The primary eight principles are as follows:

1. Strengthen Utility Company Transparency and Ethics Requirements
2. Expand Consumer Affordability Protections
3. Make Illinois a Renewable Energy Leader and Phase Out Dirty Power
4. Implement a Market-Based Solution That Supports Clean Power and Clean Air
5. Electrify and Decarbonize Illinois’ Transportation Sector
6. Support Communities Transitioning to Clean Energy
7. Advance Equity in the Growing Clean Energy Economy
8. Enhance Energy Efficiency in Illinois

The Governor’s proposal borrows heavily from many of the concepts that have been proposed in multiple, competing energy reform bills - including the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA), Path to 100, Competitive Energy Jobs Act, and items from a proposal initiated by the Illinois Chamber of Commerce - as well as introduces new ethics reforms for Illinois utilities. This framework is intended to help guide the ongoing energy working group discussions that were initially suspended by COVID, and then again by the ComEd bribery scandal as detailed in its deferred prosecution agreement.

The Governor’s office stated it believes the working groups could resume as early as this week or next under this discussion framework.  As previously reported, the Governor’s office does not have a “firm” timeline on when discussions should conclude and a bill be presented to the Illinois General Assembly; however, the initial goal is to present a bill during the 2020 veto session if possible.