East Central Reporter

Rep. Reggie Phillips (R-Charleston) is trying to bring clean coal facilities to the Prairie State.

HB4236, sponsored by Phillips, provides that the Illinois Power Agency and Illinois Commerce Commission shall include sourcing agreements covering power produced by clean coal and other facilities in each annual power procurement plan, according to the bill synopsis.

Before the third reading of the bill in the House on April 25, Rep. Andre Thapedi (D-Chicago) asked Phillips to clarify what the legislation's second amendment provided in regards to the underlying bill.

“There seems to be some information going around, perhaps it is misinformation or perhaps correct information, about what exactly you are trying to accomplish,” Thapedi said.

Phillips said in 2009 the General Assembly passed the Clean Coal Facility Act to allow for the Tenaska plant in Taylorville to produce coal, but did not allow for any other smaller size plants to do the same. He said a group of private investors wants to begin a small pilot plant, but according to the present bill language cannot do so.

“Illinois by 2025 was supposed to be using 25 percent of our energy from clean coal facilities and to date we have not done one facility,” Phillips said.

The goal of the bill is to be able to position Illinois to generate power utilizing Illinois coal, Thapedi confirmed, noting the state often uses out-of-state coal to generate power.

“We are sitting on 25 percent of the coal reserves for the United States, and not being able to utilize it,” Phillips said.  

Rep. Luis Arroyo (D-Chicago) brought up the cost of the plant, asking Phillips how much it would cost to build. Phillips said the $700 million plant will be funded by private investors and no state funds are needed for the project to go forward.

Though Phillips assured Arroyo that Illinois will not pay a penny, Arroyo said he heard otherwise.

“I wouldn’t want a taxpayer from my district to have to pay for a coal plant in anybody else’s district,” Arroyo said, adding he does not even know where Coles County, where the plant would be placed, is.

Phillips assured Arroyo heard wrong. 

“I am telling you it is not going to raise your rates,” Phillips said. “It’s just going to be part of the procurement process.”

“I differ with you,” Arroyo said.

While Arroyo said anyone with a good conscience should not vote for the bill, Rep. John Cavaletto (R-Salem) saw it differently, asking Phillips how many jobs the plant would create.

“This is a job’s bill,” Phillip said, adding the plant would create up to 800 jobs at prevailing wage rates. “And did I mention, we are going to be using Illinois coal that is not being utilized?”

Philips said his bill has many moving parts.

“Eventually natural gas is going to go up; and if we don’t use this technology now, we lose the opportunity to use Illinois coal,” Phillips said.

Cavaletto pointed out Illinois will have to pay tax on the coal.

“So that answers the question to the gentlemen over there from Chicago,” Cavaletto said, adding downstate needs the coal mine to survive. “It will create jobs, it will be taxed, and it will take care of itself.”

HB4236 was held on second reading.