The new legislative session saw some significant changes in leadership in the State Senate. After an intense campaign, Senator Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) was chosen by the Senate Democrats to be the new President of the Senate, succeeding former President John Cullerton (D-Chicago) who retired in mid-January.
See the complete article in the Illinois Energy Forum-February 2020
On Dec.19, The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued an order affecting the competitive capacity market administered by PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. (PJM) by directing PJM to expand its current Minimum Offer Price Rule (MOPR) to address state-subsidized electric generation resources, with certain exemptions.
See the complete article in the Illinois Energy Forum-January 2020
On November 13-14, more than 6,500 participants, who represented more than 425 organizations from across the electric power industry and federal and state governments, participated in the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s (NERC’s) energy grid security and incident response exercise, GridEx V. The two-day exercise was designed to test cyber and physical security incident response protocols and coordination among industry and government stakeholders from the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
See the complete article in the Illinois Energy Forum-December 2019
While temperatures plunged to record-breaking lows during an unusual November cold snap early this week, Exelon Generation's six Illinois nuclear plants operated at full power, producing enough power to keep 11 million homes and businesses safe and warm. Ten of the fleet’s 11 reactors ran at nearly 100 percent output levels throughout the week, providing schools, hospitals, businesses and residences the reliable, carbon-free electricity needed to keep heaters running. Dresden Station Unit 2 is currently shut down for a refueling outage.
See the complete article in the Illinois Energy Forum-November 2019
The American Gas Association (AGA) welcomes the gas transmission pipeline safety rule from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) which represents a consensus approach to enhancing the safety of transporting America's abundance of natural gas. PHMSA released a trio of rules intended to continue to improve the safety and resiliency of our vast energy delivery infrastructure to keep pace with increased supply and demand.
See the complete article in the Illinois Energy Forum-October 2019
The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) recently held its annual Supplier Diversity Policy Session for the state’s large regulated utilities, wind, solar and other energy suppliers to report on their supplier diversity efforts in 2018 and procurement goals for 2019.
The policy sessions are in response to provisions created by the Illinois General Assembly in the Public Utilities Act. Under Section 5-117 of the Public Utility Act, large regulated utilities, wind, solar and other energy suppliers in the state are required to report on procurement goals and actual spending for the previous calendar year with diverse suppliers.
See the complete article in the Illinois Energy Forum-September 2019
The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science has selected 73 scientists from across the nation – including 27 from DOE’s national laboratories and 46 from U.S. universities – to receive significant funding for research as part of DOE’s Early Career Research Program. The effort, now in its tenth year, is designed to bolster the nation’s scientific workforce by providing support to exceptional researchers during the crucial early career years, when many scientists do their most formative work.
See the complete article in the Illinois Energy Forum-August 2019
On July 1, the Illinois Commerce Commission’s Office of Retail Market Development (ORMD) released its 12th annual report to the General Assembly and the Governor. The report describes in detail the competitive retail market in Illinois and is required under Section 20-110 of the “Retail Electric Competition Act of 2006.”
The report aims to provide an overview of the current state of the market, including alternative retail electric suppliers’ (ARES) activity and customer switching trends.
See the complete article in the Illinois Energy Forum-July 2019
As the first Spring Session of the 101st Illinois General Assembly wrapped up on June 2nd, nearly all of the major energy policy bills introduced this Spring were in a holding pattern until the Fall Veto Session.
Only two significant pieces of energy policy legislation passed both chambers of the legislature.
Six major energy policy initiatives (each of which featured companion House and Senate bills) were in play during the Session and all are currently stalled.
See the complete article in the Illinois Energy Forum-June 2019
The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) has released findings from its three-year study of potential impacts of high-altitude electromagnetic pulses (EMP) on the electric transmission system, along with options to mitigate those impacts.
The report, High-Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse and the Bulk Power System—Potential Impacts and Mitigation Strategies, includes results from extensive laboratory testing and analysis of potential EMP impacts on the electric transmission system, with updated information that uses scenarios provided by Los Alamos National Laboratory. EPRI’s research included extensive testing at its EMP laboratories in Charlotte, N.C. and Knoxville, Tenn.
See the complete article in the Illinois Energy Forum-May 2019