The House and Senate returned to Springfield this week. Both Chambers were in Session Tuesday through Thursday. The focus this week has been on moving bills through the Committee process. The Senate Committee Deadline is next Friday the 17th, with the House Committee Deadline on March 31st.
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The House Public Utilities Committee met on Tuesday of this week. No major energy bills were considered, but the Committee did form a subcommittee on Special Matters. HB 3038 (Rep. Theresa Mah, D-Chicago) which would put unwieldly restrictions on purchases of receivables, along with HB 3207 (Rep. Lindsay Parkhurst, R-Kankakee) which would put restrictions on siting transmission lines have been assigned to the Subcommittee.
The House Public Utilities Committee is scheduled to meet on Tuesday next week. The committee is scheduled to hear HB 2825 (Rep. Jerry Costello, D-Red Bud) which would extend some state energy efficiency programs that are scheduled to sunset.
The Senate Energy Committee met on Thursday of this week. The Committee approved SB 1488 (Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Peru) which would eliminate the Radioactive Waste Task Force. The Task Force is no longer needed because the State is using a site in Texas for low-level radioactive waste storage. The Energy Committee also created a Subcommittee on Special Issues. Several initiatives of Direct Energy have been assigned to that Subcommittee.
The Senate Energy Committee is scheduled to meet on Thursday of next week. The Committee will consider SB 71 (Sen. Don Harmon, D-Oak Park) which would put an immediate effective date on the changes to the RPS that were included in the Future Energy Jobs Bill. There has been an amendment filed to SB 71 which would replace the underlying bill. The amendment would remove utility scale wind projects from certification requirements that were included in the Future Energy Jobs Bill.
The House and Senate return to Springfield on Tuesday of next week, with the House scheduled to adjourn on Thursday and the Senate on Friday.
The Energy Association has scheduled several receptions for the new General Assembly. A reception honoring the Senate Committees will be on March 28th from 5:30 to 7:30pm at Maldaner’s. The reception honoring House Committees has been rescheduled for March 22nd 5:30 to 7:30 at Arlington’s . Please RSVP to edrake@elaineg75.sg-host.com, or 217-523-7348.
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