A recent Tribune editorial about the state’s power needs is correct in assessing that Illinois is facing a critical moment in its clean energy transition, but it misses the mark on how we got here and the best path forward.
PJM Interconnection, which manages the electric grid for 13 states including northern Illinois, saw dramatic price increases in its most recent capacity market auction. These charges, designed to guarantee electricity supply during extreme weather and when we’re using the most power, are expected to raise Commonwealth Edison customers’ bills beginning next June, with more significant increases projected for 2026.
Rising electricity demand, and changing power generation as uneconomic fossil plants retire, is driving this mismatch between supply and demand during peak hours and weather emergencies. What the Tribune Editorial Board ignores is that the marketplace, not the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, precipitated the closing of most Illinois coal plants.
In 2018, three years before the General Assembly passed the bill, CEO Curtis Morgan of Vistra Energy, which owned most of Illinois’ coal-fired generating plants, told CNBC that “I don’t believe (coal) is going to have a renaissance. I think it’s on its way out.” Vistra announced the closing of plants in Canton, Hennepin, Havana and Coffeen in 2019 and closed its four remaining plants a few years later.
Thankfully, the Future Energy Jobs Act in 2018 catalyzed one of the biggest solar energy booms in the country. According to the policy and action group Environment Illinois, residential solar grew 2,252% from 2017 through 2022 and small-scale commercial solar grew 1,871%.
The passage of the climate bill in 2021 created another solar development boom. The state has procured more than 3.5 gigawatts of solar and wind energy since CEJA was passed. Over 20 gigawatts of utility-scale renewable energy and energy storage are waiting for PJM’s approval to come online in the ComEd zone alone. That’s roughly the capacity contribution of five nuclear plants.
But PJM’s five-year backlog of approving these solar projects is choking energy production in Illinois. PJM must approve the projects at a far faster rate to head off this imbalance between supply and demand, or its capacity auctions will continue to sock electricity customers with higher bills.
PJM also reduced the capacity value of methane gas plants due to their poor performance in recent winter storms. According to a recent report by the science advocacy group Union of Concerned Scientists, gas plant failures accounted for 63% of the generating capacity knocked offline during Winter Storm Elliott in 2022 and 56% during Winter Storm Uri in 2021. Climate change is increasing both the intensity and frequency of these extreme weather events.
We simply can’t count on dirty, expensive gas to fix the supply problem anymore.
Illinois lawmakers must act now to address these challenges. The Clean and Reliable Grid Act, under consideration in Springfield, is a critical piece of legislation that would help strengthen the state’s power grid. By updating energy efficiency standards, paying residential customers to shift their energy use to off-peak hours and accelerating clean energy development, the proposed bill would reduce strain on the grid while keeping energy bills affordable.
Energy storage is another essential component of Illinois’ energy future. Batteries can store excess renewable energy for use during peak demand and provide a reliable backup when fossil fuel plants are phased out or freeze out like they did in Texas. The Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition is advocating for policies that prioritize storage, ensuring that investments are tied to Illinois’ emissions reduction goals and community equity provisions.
The coalition also emphasizes the importance of implementing transmission upgrades, including leveraging existing rights of way, and laying groundwork to harness Illinois’ offshore wind potential in Lake Michigan. Additionally, the coalition supports reforms to the state’s renewable portfolio standard to ensure large solar and wind projects can move forward.
Taking the road to decarbonization was never going to be easy, but the challenges Illinois faces today are not insurmountable. By passing the Clean and Reliable Grid Act and making strategic investments in energy storage, transmission and demand management, Illinois can build on the successes of past legislation, ensure grid reliability at lower costs and continue to lead on clean energy.
Gov. JB Pritzker and the General Assembly must show leadership by prioritizing these solutions before the 2025 legislative session. The clean energy transition is not only about reducing emissions — it’s also about building a stronger, more equitable energy system for all Illinoisans.
Now is the time for action, not retreat.
Christine Nannicelli is an environmental advocate acting on behalf of the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition.
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