PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — State lawmakers have revealed their revised energy omnibus bill as Illinoisans face high utility bills.
The two big items in the bill are battery storage and nuclear.
Illinois nuclear moratorium would be repealed if this plan was to become a law. That doesn’t mean a nuclear plant will be built, it will just allow companies to build large modular reactors in the state.
"It doesn’t cost us anything to lift the moratorium," said state Sen. Sue Rezin, a Republican from Morris. "If we don’t lift the moratorium, we’re sending a message we’re not open for business. End of story."
The biggest issue with energy is data centers. These large buildings power AI technology, requiring an immense amount of power. A spokesperson for ComEd said he’s had requests from data centers that could take gigawatts worth of energy off the grid.
Nuclear could be the fix. This renewable energy source produces the vast majority of Illinois’ energy.
However, nuclear plants aren’t made overnight. In fact, they can take decades to build.
The Clinton power plant has the space to add another reactor, but even that could take six to ten years, according to an energy expert.
On energy storage, it’s a way to reduce how much energy is lost in the grid. Proponents for storage said it has had a positive impact in Texas.
"The IPA calculated the net benefits of the bill’s storage provisions and presented us a dollar range, and even if we just look at the most conservative side of that range, we see savings for both ComEd and Ameren customers," said Sarah Moskowitz with the Citizens Utility Board.
Other groups raised skepticism. Not at the energy storage itself, but how the state will fund it. Patrick Schweska with the Illinois Manufacturers Association said the price could fall onto the consumer.
"The bill directs the Illinois Power Agency to procure storage projects, but ultimately, it ends up authorizing utilities to recover those costs by passing them directly through onto consumers’ bills," he said. "The structure means every energy user would shoulder new costs of these projects, paying higher rates on their utility bills."
Other provisions in the bill included additional funding for solar by allowing a renewable fund to match the rate of inflation, according to speakers at the committee.
The thing to note, these projects take a long time to make.
"I’m not seeing anything in there that would give any ratepayers any help this year, next year, or even in 2027," said state Sen. Terri Bryant, a Republican from Murphysboro.
Since this was a subject matter hearing, no one voted on the bill. Lawmakers could vote on this plan when they return to session in October.
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September 18, 2025 at 09:45PM
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