Illinois House passes big energy bill

Posted on September 10, 2021
The House passed the bill, and the Senate’s in on Monday. (Dave Dahl/WJBC)

By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – That big energy bill has finally come together in Springfield. Fossil fuels would be on their way out in favor of wind and solar.

Backers say it puts Illinois to a clean energy future. State Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield) says the bill’s no good for the city-owned coal utility here. “Guess what,” he said during a more than two-hour debate. “We’re already tapped out on our property taxes. Every dime that I pay in property taxes goes to pension debt. Now you are going to say that every dime I pay on my utility bills is going to an out-of-commission power plant.”

He’s obviously not as inspired as State Rep. Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield) sounds.

“The United Nations said this (climate crisis) is a Code Red for humanity,” Morgan said. “They did not say this is a Code Red for Deerfield, a Code Red for Morris, for Springfield, for Decatur. This is a Code Red for humanity. For all of us.”

The House passed the bill, and the Senate’s in on Monday.

SB 2408 has passed the House, 83-33.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]

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