East Central Reporter

Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Louisville) is urging the public to reach out to lawmakers and voice opposition to the new clean-energy bill signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker. 

The new bill, Senate Bill 2408 (S.B. 2408), that was approved by Senate in a 37-17 vote, and signed into law Set. 15, will transition the state into renewable energy over the next 30 years with the hopes of running on completely renewable energy by 2050, ABC 7 reported. 

"Call your Senator and tell them to reject Pritzker’s job killing and rate-raising Illinois Green New Deal," Bailey wrote in a tweet. "This irresponsible and activist-driven legislation allows for eminent domain and will have Illinois importing energy and exporting jobs while working families pay the price."

Sen. Dale Fowler (R-Harrisburg) agrees with Bailey's sentiments toward the new legislation. 

“This energy proposal was an opportunity to recognize the importance of our coal industry and work collaboratively to establish an energy package that would protect jobs, safeguard Illinois’ energy portfolio and ensure we have reliable energy for Illinoisans," Fowler said in a press release. "Disappointingly, the opportunity was missed and it will have costly consequences for Illinoisans”

Fowler said the new bill overlooks the reliability that coal provides to the state's energy portfolio and places a target on privately owned coal plants, while instead relying on wind and solar energy subsidies. Fowler also opposes its "dangerous eminent domain provision that threatens landowners and is a direct assault on our state’s agricultural sector."

Another state representative opposing the legislation is Rep. Adam Neimerg (R-Dieterich) who said that the bill acts on nothing more than special interest, and says Illinois will end up like Texas and California with blackouts. 

"This legislation is nothing but a goodie bag for special interests," Neimerg said in a statement, as reported by SE Illinois News. "The cost of electricity will go up and, in some areas, it will go up dramatically thanks to the arbitrary timetable to reduce carbon emissions by 2035. What happens in Illinois is not going to make one iota of a difference in terms of solving the climate change debate. What will happen and what is happening is that we are making the same mistakes that Texas and California have made. This plan calls for the shuttering of peaker plants which supply power during peak energy use such as on cold winter days and hot summer days – of which we have an abundance here in Illinois. This means we are in for rolling blackouts and dangerous conditions for our elderly population."

S.B. 2408 will ultimately cause the closing of Prairie State Coal plant while also providing approximately $700 million in subsidies to Exelon in the next five years alone, ABC 7 reported. 

According to SE Illinois News, the legislation will also include a $200 million energy transformation tax increase.

While Gov. Pritzker has called the bill transformative, Republicans say that residents can expect an increase in their monthly bill anywhere from $2 to $15.