Pritzker creates governors group as IL legislators debate increased
energy bills
[September 26, 2025]
By Greg Bishop | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday announced
the creation of a new group of governors impacted by the PJM energy grid
operator, but Republicans say it’s state policies that are driving costs
up.
Pritzker’s office announced PJM Governor’s Collaborative, saying its aim
is to strengthen state representation in the decision-making process of
PJM Interconnection. His office said there are concerns over PJM’s role
in driving up electricity costs. Before Thursday’s announcement at an
unrelated event, Pritzker criticized the operator.
“PJM is not doing a good job of adding all the renewable energy that
we've added in the state,” Pritzker said Tuesday. “We've tripled the
amount of renewable energy in the state from … 5% to almost 20% of the
state's production of electricity.”
During a House Executive Committee hearing Thursday about proposed
changes to the state’s energy policy, including tacking on another
surcharge to ratepayer bills, driving costs up more, state Rep. C.D.
Davidsmeyer, R-Murrayville, said it’s not PJM that’s inflating rates,
it’s state policies.
“Republicans have been excluded from a number of these, actually, all of
these discussions and a lot of our constituents have been negatively
impacted by [Climate and Equitable Jobs Act] and all these other bills,”
Davidsmeyer said. “So when we pretend like it's PJM and [Midcontinent
Independent System Operator] that are increasing costs, it's our current
policies that have pushed us in this direction.”
CEJA set the state toward decarbonization with the closure of coal fired
power plants by 2045.
State Rep. Ann Williams, D-Chicago, said all states are being impacted
by increased costs and they are looking to take that on, and what she
said were federal energy policies undermining Illinois’ clean energy
programs and "escalating climate crisis."
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Alan Wooten | The Center Square
“This is really, in light of what we've seen, which is a positive in
many ways, the technology boom, which has for the first time in
40-ish years, increased demand for energy in an unprecedented way,”
Williams said Thursday. “It's a basic supply demand challenge that
we're all facing.”
Patrick Schweska with the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association said
it opposes the legislation because it is going to increase costs on
residents and businesses.
“For Illinois manufacturers, this is especially concerning. Our
state already has amongst the highest industrial utility rates in
the region, adding another charge to increase the cost of every unit
of power consumed,” Schweska said. “That would put Illinois at a
competitive disadvantage against neighboring states that are
aggressively attracting new investment.
Davidsmeyer said instead of focusing on wind and solar energy, the
state needs to reverse course and get back to generating baseload
power.
“Our current plan is to just import from other states because we're
not allowing our state to actually produce baseload generation.”
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