101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB5526

 

Introduced , by Rep. Ryan Spain

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
220 ILCS 5/16-115D

    Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that the provisions of the Illinois Power Agency Act relating to the payments by retail customers of a utility for the purpose of recovering the utility's costs for procuring renewable energy credits shall not apply to an alternative retail electric supplier, or its customers, that operates a combined heat and power system in this State, or that has a corporate affiliate that operates a combined heat and power system in this State, and supplies electricity primarily to or for the benefit of certain specified facilities.


LRB101 17185 SPS 66587 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB5526LRB101 17185 SPS 66587 b

1    AN ACT concerning regulation.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended by changing
5Section 16-115D as follows:
 
6    (220 ILCS 5/16-115D)
7    Sec. 16-115D. Renewable portfolio standard for alternative
8retail electric suppliers and electric utilities operating
9outside their service territories.
10    (a) An alternative retail electric supplier shall be
11responsible for procuring cost-effective renewable energy
12resources as required under item (5) of subsection (d) of
13Section 16-115 of this Act as outlined herein:
14        (1) The definition of renewable energy resources
15    contained in Section 1-10 of the Illinois Power Agency Act
16    applies to all renewable energy resources required to be
17    procured by alternative retail electric suppliers.
18        (2) Through May 31, 2017, the quantity of renewable
19    energy resources shall be measured as a percentage of the
20    actual amount of metered electricity (megawatt-hours)
21    delivered by the alternative retail electric supplier to
22    Illinois retail customers during the 12-month period June 1
23    through May 31, commencing June 1, 2009, and the comparable

 

 

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1    12-month period in each year thereafter except as provided
2    in item (6) of this subsection (a).
3        (3) Through May 31, 2017, the quantity of renewable
4    energy resources shall be in amounts at least equal to the
5    annual percentages set forth in item (1) of subsection (c)
6    of Section 1-75 of the Illinois Power Agency Act. At least
7    60% of the renewable energy resources procured pursuant to
8    items (1) and (3) of subsection (b) of this Section shall
9    come from wind generation and, starting June 1, 2015, at
10    least 6% of the renewable energy resources procured
11    pursuant to items (1) and (3) of subsection (b) of this
12    Section shall come from solar photovoltaics. If, in any
13    given year, an alternative retail electric supplier does
14    not purchase at least these levels of renewable energy
15    resources, then the alternative retail electric supplier
16    shall make alternative compliance payments, as described
17    in subsection (d) of this Section.
18        (3.5) For the delivery year commencing June 1, 2017,
19    the quantity of renewable energy resources shall be at
20    least 13.0% of the uncovered amount of metered electricity
21    (megawatt-hours) delivered by the alternative retail
22    electric supplier to Illinois retail customers during the
23    delivery year, which uncovered amount shall equal 50% of
24    such metered electricity delivered by the alternative
25    retail electric supplier. For the delivery year commencing
26    June 1, 2018, the quantity of renewable energy resources

 

 

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1    shall be at least 14.5% of the uncovered amount of metered
2    electricity (megawatt-hours) delivered by the alternative
3    retail electric supplier to Illinois retail customers
4    during the delivery year, which uncovered amount shall
5    equal 25% of such metered electricity delivered by the
6    alternative retail electric supplier. At least 32% of the
7    renewable energy resources procured by the alternative
8    retail electric supplier for its uncovered portion under
9    this paragraph (3.5) shall come from wind or photovoltaic
10    generation. The renewable energy resources procured under
11    this paragraph (3.5) shall not include any resources from a
12    facility whose costs were being recovered through rates
13    regulated by any state or states on or after January 1,
14    2017.
15        (4) The quantity and source of renewable energy
16    resources shall be independently verified through the PJM
17    Environmental Information System Generation Attribute
18    Tracking System (PJM-GATS) or the Midwest Renewable Energy
19    Tracking System (M-RETS), which shall document the
20    location of generation, resource type, month, and year of
21    generation for all qualifying renewable energy resources
22    that an alternative retail electric supplier uses to comply
23    with this Section. No later than June 1, 2009, the Illinois
24    Power Agency shall provide PJM-GATS, M-RETS, and
25    alternative retail electric suppliers with all information
26    necessary to identify resources located in Illinois,

 

 

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1    within states that adjoin Illinois or within portions of
2    the PJM and MISO footprint in the United States that
3    qualify under the definition of renewable energy resources
4    in Section 1-10 of the Illinois Power Agency Act for
5    compliance with this Section 16-115D. Alternative retail
6    electric suppliers shall not be subject to the requirements
7    in item (3) of subsection (c) of Section 1-75 of the
8    Illinois Power Agency Act.
9        (5) All renewable energy credits used to comply with
10    this Section shall be permanently retired.
11        (6) The required procurement of renewable energy
12    resources by an alternative retail electric supplier shall
13    apply to all metered electricity delivered to Illinois
14    retail customers by the alternative retail electric
15    supplier pursuant to contracts executed or extended after
16    March 15, 2009.
17    (b) Compliance obligations.
18        (1) Through May 31, 2017, an alternative retail
19    electric supplier shall comply with the renewable energy
20    portfolio standards by making an alternative compliance
21    payment, as described in subsection (d) of this Section, to
22    cover at least one-half of the alternative retail electric
23    supplier's compliance obligation for the period prior to
24    June 1, 2017.
25        (2) For the delivery years beginning June 1, 2017 and
26    June 1, 2018, an alternative retail electric supplier need

 

 

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1    not make any alternative compliance payment to meet any
2    portion of its compliance obligation, as set forth in
3    paragraph (3.5) of subsection (a) of this Section.
4        (3) An alternative retail electric supplier shall use
5    any one or combination of the following means to cover the
6    remainder of the alternative retail electric supplier's
7    compliance obligation, as set forth in paragraphs (3) and
8    (3.5) of subsection (a) of this Section, not covered by an
9    alternative compliance payment made under paragraphs (1)
10    and (2) of this subsection (b) of this Section:
11            (A) Generating electricity using renewable energy
12        resources identified pursuant to item (4) of
13        subsection (a) of this Section.
14            (B) Purchasing electricity generated using
15        renewable energy resources identified pursuant to item
16        (4) of subsection (a) of this Section through an energy
17        contract.
18            (C) Purchasing renewable energy credits from
19        renewable energy resources identified pursuant to item
20        (4) of subsection (a) of this Section.
21            (D) Making an alternative compliance payment as
22        described in subsection (d) of this Section.
23    (c) Use of renewable energy credits.
24        (1) Renewable energy credits that are not used by an
25    alternative retail electric supplier to comply with a
26    renewable portfolio standard in a compliance year may be

 

 

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1    banked and carried forward up to 2 12-month compliance
2    periods after the compliance period in which the credit was
3    generated for the purpose of complying with a renewable
4    portfolio standard in those 2 subsequent compliance
5    periods. For the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 compliance
6    periods, an alternative retail electric supplier may use
7    renewable credits generated after December 31, 2008 and
8    before June 1, 2009 to comply with this Section.
9        (2) An alternative retail electric supplier is
10    responsible for demonstrating that a renewable energy
11    credit used to comply with a renewable portfolio standard
12    is derived from a renewable energy resource and that the
13    alternative retail electric supplier has not used, traded,
14    sold, or otherwise transferred the credit.
15        (3) The same renewable energy credit may be used by an
16    alternative retail electric supplier to comply with a
17    federal renewable portfolio standard and a renewable
18    portfolio standard established under this Act. An
19    alternative retail electric supplier that uses a renewable
20    energy credit to comply with a renewable portfolio standard
21    imposed by any other state may not use the same credit to
22    comply with a renewable portfolio standard established
23    under this Act.
24    (d) Alternative compliance payments.
25        (1) The Commission shall establish and post on its
26    website, within 5 business days after entering an order

 

 

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1    approving a procurement plan pursuant to Section 1-75 of
2    the Illinois Power Agency Act, maximum alternative
3    compliance payment rates, expressed on a per kilowatt-hour
4    basis, that will be applicable in the first compliance
5    period following the plan approval. A separate maximum
6    alternative compliance payment rate shall be established
7    for the service territory of each electric utility that is
8    subject to subsection (c) of Section 1-75 of the Illinois
9    Power Agency Act. Each maximum alternative compliance
10    payment rate shall be equal to the maximum allowable annual
11    estimated average net increase due to the costs of the
12    utility's purchase of renewable energy resources included
13    in the amounts paid by eligible retail customers in
14    connection with electric service, as described in item (2)
15    of subsection (c) of Section 1-75 of the Illinois Power
16    Agency Act for the compliance period, and as established in
17    the approved procurement plan. Following each procurement
18    event through which renewable energy resources are
19    purchased for one or more of these utilities for the
20    compliance period, the Commission shall establish and post
21    on its website estimates of the alternative compliance
22    payment rates, expressed on a per kilowatt-hour basis, that
23    shall apply for that compliance period. Posting of the
24    estimates shall occur no later than 10 business days
25    following the procurement event, however, the Commission
26    shall not be required to establish and post such estimates

 

 

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1    more often than once per calendar month. By July 1 of each
2    year, the Commission shall establish and post on its
3    website the actual alternative compliance payment rates
4    for the preceding compliance year. For compliance years
5    beginning prior to June 1, 2014, each alternative
6    compliance payment rate shall be equal to the total amount
7    of dollars that the utility contracted to spend on
8    renewable resources, excepting the additional incremental
9    cost attributable to solar resources, for the compliance
10    period divided by the forecasted load of eligible retail
11    customers, at the customers' meters, as previously
12    established in the Commission-approved procurement plan
13    for that compliance year. For compliance years commencing
14    on or after June 1, 2014, each alternative compliance
15    payment rate shall be equal to the total amount of dollars
16    that the utility contracted to spend on all renewable
17    resources for the compliance period divided by the
18    forecasted load of retail customers for which the utility
19    is procuring renewable energy resources in a given delivery
20    year, at the customers' meters, as previously established
21    in the Commission-approved procurement plan for that
22    compliance year. The actual alternative compliance payment
23    rates may not exceed the maximum alternative compliance
24    payment rates established for the compliance period. For
25    purposes of this subsection (d), the term "eligible retail
26    customers" has the same meaning as found in Section

 

 

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1    16-111.5 of this Act.
2        (2) In any given compliance year, an alternative retail
3    electric supplier may elect to use alternative compliance
4    payments to comply with all or a part of the applicable
5    renewable portfolio standard. In the event that an
6    alternative retail electric supplier elects to make
7    alternative compliance payments to comply with all or a
8    part of the applicable renewable portfolio standard, such
9    payments shall be made by September 1, 2010 for the period
10    of June 1, 2009 to May 1, 2010 and by September 1 of each
11    year thereafter for the subsequent compliance period, in
12    the manner and form as determined by the Commission. Any
13    election by an alternative retail electric supplier to use
14    alternative compliance payments is subject to review by the
15    Commission under subsection (e) of this Section.
16        (3) An alternative retail electric supplier's
17    alternative compliance payments shall be computed
18    separately for each electric utility's service territory
19    within which the alternative retail electric supplier
20    provided retail service during the compliance period,
21    provided that the electric utility was subject to
22    subsection (c) of Section 1-75 of the Illinois Power Agency
23    Act. For each service territory, the alternative retail
24    electric supplier's alternative compliance payment shall
25    be equal to (i) the actual alternative compliance payment
26    rate established in item (1) of this subsection (d),

 

 

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1    multiplied by (ii) the actual amount of metered electricity
2    delivered by the alternative retail electric supplier to
3    retail customers for which the supplier has a compliance
4    obligation within the service territory during the
5    compliance period, multiplied by (iii) the result of one
6    minus the ratios of the quantity of renewable energy
7    resources used by the alternative retail electric supplier
8    to comply with the requirements of this Section within the
9    service territory to the product of the percentage of
10    renewable energy resources required under item (3) or (3.5)
11    of subsection (a) of this Section and the actual amount of
12    metered electricity delivered by the alternative retail
13    electrical supplier to retail customers for which the
14    supplier has a compliance obligation within the service
15    territory during the compliance period.
16        (4) Through May 31, 2017, all alternative compliance
17    payments by alternative retail electric suppliers shall be
18    deposited in the Illinois Power Agency Renewable Energy
19    Resources Fund and used to purchase renewable energy
20    credits, in accordance with Section 1-56 of the Illinois
21    Power Agency Act. Beginning April 1, 2012 and by April 1 of
22    each year thereafter, the Illinois Power Agency shall
23    submit an annual report to the General Assembly, the
24    Commission, and alternative retail electric suppliers that
25    shall include, but not be limited to:
26            (A) the total amount of alternative compliance

 

 

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1        payments received in aggregate from alternative retail
2        electric suppliers by planning year for all previous
3        planning years in which the alternative compliance
4        payment was in effect;
5            (B) the amount of those payments utilized to
6        purchased renewable energy credits itemized by the
7        date of each procurement in which the payments were
8        utilized; and
9            (C) the unused and remaining balance in the Agency
10        Renewable Energy Resources Fund attributable to those
11        payments.
12        (4.5) Beginning with the delivery year commencing June
13    1, 2017, all alternative compliance payments by
14    alternative retail electric suppliers shall be remitted to
15    the applicable electric utility. To facilitate this
16    remittance, each electric utility shall file a tariff with
17    the Commission no later than 30 days following the
18    effective date of this amendatory Act of the 99th General
19    Assembly, which the Commission shall approve, after notice
20    and hearing, no later than 45 days after its filing. The
21    Illinois Power Agency shall use such payments to increase
22    the amount of renewable energy resources otherwise to be
23    procured under subsection (c) of Section 1-75 of the
24    Illinois Power Agency Act.
25        (5) The Commission, in consultation with the Illinois
26    Power Agency, shall establish a process or proceeding to

 

 

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1    consider the impact of a federal renewable portfolio
2    standard, if enacted, on the operation of the alternative
3    compliance mechanism, which shall include, but not be
4    limited to, developing, to the extent permitted by the
5    applicable federal statute, an appropriate methodology to
6    apportion renewable energy credits retired as a result of
7    alternative compliance payments made in accordance with
8    this Section. The Commission shall commence any such
9    process or proceeding within 35 days after enactment of a
10    federal renewable portfolio standard.
11    (e) Each alternative retail electric supplier shall, by
12September 1, 2010 and by September 1 of each year thereafter,
13prepare and submit to the Commission a report, in a format to
14be specified by the Commission, that provides information
15certifying compliance by the alternative retail electric
16supplier with this Section, including copies of all PJM-GATS
17and M-RETS reports, and documentation relating to banking,
18retiring renewable energy credits, and any other information
19that the Commission determines necessary to ensure compliance
20with this Section.
21    An alternative retail electric supplier may file
22commercially or financially sensitive information or trade
23secrets with the Commission as provided under the rules of the
24Commission. To be filed confidentially, the information shall
25be accompanied by an affidavit that sets forth both the reasons
26for the confidentiality and a public synopsis of the

 

 

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1information.
2    (f) The Commission may initiate a contested case to review
3allegations that the alternative retail electric supplier has
4violated this Section, including an order issued or rule
5promulgated under this Section. In any such proceeding, the
6alternative retail electric supplier shall have the burden of
7proof. If the Commission finds, after notice and hearing, that
8an alternative retail electric supplier has violated this
9Section, then the Commission shall issue an order requiring the
10alternative retail electric supplier to:
11        (1) immediately comply with this Section; and
12        (2) if the violation involves a failure to procure the
13    requisite quantity of renewable energy resources or pay the
14    applicable alternative compliance payment by the annual
15    deadline, the Commission shall require the alternative
16    retail electric supplier to double the applicable
17    alternative compliance payment that would otherwise be
18    required to bring the alternative retail electric supplier
19    into compliance with this Section.
20    If an alternative retail electric supplier fails to comply
21with the renewable energy resource portfolio requirement in
22this Section more than once in a 5-year period, then the
23Commission shall revoke the alternative electric supplier's
24certificate of service authority. The Commission shall not
25accept an application for a certificate of service authority
26from an alternative retail electric supplier that has lost

 

 

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1certification under this subsection (f), or any corporate
2affiliate thereof, for at least one year after the date of
3revocation.
4    (g) All of the provisions of this Section apply to electric
5utilities operating outside their service area except under
6item (2) of subsection (a) of this Section the quantity of
7renewable energy resources shall be measured as a percentage of
8the actual amount of electricity (megawatt-hours) supplied in
9the State outside of the utility's service territory during the
1012-month period June 1 through May 31, commencing June 1, 2009,
11and the comparable 12-month period in each year thereafter
12except as provided in item (6) of subsection (a) of this
13Section.
14    If any such utility fails to procure the requisite quantity
15of renewable energy resources by the annual deadline, then the
16Commission shall require the utility to double the alternative
17compliance payment that would otherwise be required to bring
18the utility into compliance with this Section.
19    If any such utility fails to comply with the renewable
20energy resource portfolio requirement in this Section more than
21once in a 5-year period, then the Commission shall order the
22utility to cease all sales outside of the utility's service
23territory for a period of at least one year.
24    (h) The provisions of this Section and the provisions of
25subsection (d) of Section 16-115 of this Act relating to
26procurement of renewable energy resources, and the provisions

 

 

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1of paragraph (6) of subsection (c) of Section 1-75 of the
2Illinois Power Agency Act relating to the payments by retail
3customers of a utility for the purpose of recovering the
4utility's costs for procuring renewable energy credits, shall
5not apply to an alternative retail electric supplier, or the
6retail customers of an alternative retail electric supplier,
7that operates a combined heat and power system in this State or
8that has a corporate affiliate that operates such a combined
9heat and power system in this State that supplies electricity
10primarily to or for the benefit of: (i) facilities owned by the
11supplier, its subsidiary, or other corporate affiliate; (ii)
12facilities electrically integrated with the electrical system
13of facilities owned by the supplier, its subsidiary, or other
14corporate affiliate; or (iii) facilities that are adjacent to
15the site on which the combined heat and power system is
16located.
17    (i) The obligations of alternative retail electric
18suppliers and electric utilities operating outside their
19service territories to procure renewable energy resources,
20make alternative compliance payments, and file annual reports,
21and the obligations of the Commission to determine and post
22alternative compliance payment rates, shall terminate after
23May 31, 2019, provided that alternative retail electric
24suppliers and electric utilities operating outside their
25service territories shall be obligated to make all alternative
26compliance payments that they were obligated to pay for periods

 

 

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1through and including May 31, 2019, but were not paid as of
2that date. The Commission shall continue to enforce the payment
3of unpaid alternative compliance payments in accordance with
4subsections (f) and (g) of this Section. All alternative
5compliance payments made after May 31, 2016 shall be remitted
6to the applicable electric utility and used to purchase
7renewable energy credits, in accordance with Section 1-75 of
8the Illinois Power Agency Act.
9    This subsection (i) is intended to accommodate the
10transition to the procurement of renewable energy resources for
11all retail customers in the amounts specified under subsection
12(c) of Section 1-75 of the Illinois Power Agency Act and
13Section 16-111.5 of this Act, including but not limited to the
14transition to a single charge applicable to all retail
15customers to recover the costs of these resources. Each
16alternative retail electric supplier shall certify in its
17annual reports filed pursuant to subsection (e) of this Section
18after May 31, 2019, that its retail customers are not paying
19the costs of alternative compliance payments or renewable
20energy resources that the alternative retail electric supplier
21is not required to remit or purchase under this Section. The
22Commission shall have the authority to initiate an emergency
23rulemaking to adopt rules regarding such certification.
24(Source: P.A. 99-906, eff. 6-1-17.)