IL Senate GOP: Pritzker, not Trump, raised power bills

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Illinois Senate Republicans say Gov. J.B. Pritzker is wrong to blame President Donald Trump for high electric bills.

Pritzker spoke Wednesday at the ribbon cutting for an electric vehicle charging site in Pontiac and said Trump administration policies have raised electricity prices.

“They’ve taken away all the incentives, particularly from solar and wind, and said, ‘Now we’re going to advantage fossil fuels,’” Pritzker said.

State Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, spoke during a press conference Wednesday at the Illinois Capitol and said it was Pritzker who signed energy legislation that increases rates and lifts price caps.

“Gov. Pritzker raised your power bills. He raised everybody’s power bills, so I don’t want to hear one more thing about affordability from anybody who voted for this bill or any of the other bills,” Rose said.

Pritzker signed Senate Bill 25 on Jan. 8. Starting in 2030, the law adds a charge to consumer electric bills for battery storage.

Rose said Illinois Commerce Commission approval is not required for wind and solar companies as it is for other energy providers.

“That’s a signal for wind and solar to raise the heck out of your rates, people. That’s what’s gonna happen. If Gov. Pritzker really wants to save people money, let’s start by reimposing the rate caps that he just got rid of last week,” Rose said.

The Mahomet Republican said he would introduce legislation to reinstate the caps.

Rose said Pritzker also eroded local control over wind and solar siting.

According to state Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, the new line item for battery storage would cost rate payers $7 billion.

“Other states are paying for these projects with low-interest loans, not on the backs of another line item on your rate bill where there’s no caps, and all cost overruns, which is the risk in the project, are just simply being passed through to your rate payers,” Rezin said.

Rezin cited Wisconsin and Texas and said Illinois Democrats instead chose a funding model that benefits special interest groups and hedge fund investors.

The Morris Republican said affordability is the buzzword for Democrats as lawmakers return to Springfield this month.

“When you have property taxes going up, when you have your energy bill going up, that is not affordability, and that’s all based off of policies that are set and passed by one party in the state of Illinois with Gov. Pritzker’s leadership,” Rezin said.

Sen. Jil Tracy, R-Quincy, said she introduced Senate Bill 1235 to repeal forced closure dates for coal plants in 2030 and natural gas plants in 2045.

The shutdowns are mandated by the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act signed by Pritzker in 2021.

So far, Democratic lawmakers have resisted efforts to push back the closure mandates.

“That would be a good question for the leadership in the House, Senate and the governor’s office. I remain committed to working to pass legislation that brings down electricity rates for folks across Illinois as well as making our systems more green and more reliable and sustainable,” Sen. Mike Simmons, D-Chicago, told TCS.

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