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Downstate GOP members said many families and businesses are
struggling to pay their power bills.
Citing energy rate increases that have almost doubled some
families' power bills since May 2022, state Sen. Chapin Rose,
R-Mahomet, said during a news conference Tuesday that the
governor should take immediate steps to combat energy rate
increases that will likely get worse in the near future.
“What is he going to do to help our constituents with their
power bills, and I want to accentuate the fact that this only
gets worse as more and more aggregation projects come offline.
People are gonna go have their bills double all over downstate
Illinois in the [Midcontinent Independent System Operator]
region,” Rose said.
State Sen. Erica Harriss, R-Glen Carbon, and state Rep. Amy Elik,
R-Alton, have introduced legislation that allocates $200 million
in rebates to downstate families and businesses experiencing
surges in their energy costs. The funds would be released from
the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Commerce and
Economic Opportunity.
“These rebates already passed the General Assembly, but as of
today no money has been appropriated to pay Illinois families,”
Harriss said. “I introduced this legislation to right this wrong
and make good on these rebates the people deserve.”
Another GOP proposal could create a power grid task force
requiring the General Assembly to look at the impacts that
energy policies are having on Illinois’ ability to produce the
required amount of energy the state needs.
Harriss and Elik said they are hopeful for more assistance from
the governor in his budget proposal on Wednesday, but will
continue to work for immediate solutions, adding, “families
can’t wait.”
Kevin Bessler reports on statewide issues in
Illinois for the Center Square. He has over 30 years of
experience in radio news reporting throughout the Midwest.
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