Sen. Robert Peters

Filed: 1/17/2024

 

 


 

 


 
10300SB1666sam002LRB103 26363 LNS 65872 a

1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 1666

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 1666 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be referred to as the
5Thermal Energy Network and Jobs Act.
 
6    Section 5. Legislative findings and intent.
7    (a) The General Assembly finds and declares that:
8        (1) This State has a strong interest in ensuring that
9    emissions of greenhouse gases from buildings are reduced
10    because buildings are one of this State's largest sources
11    of greenhouse gases due to the combustion of fossil fuels
12    for heating, domestic hot water production, cooking, and
13    other end uses.
14        (2) The decarbonization of buildings must be pursued
15    in a manner that is affordable and accessible, preserves
16    and creates living-wage jobs, and retains the knowledge

 

 

10300SB1666sam002- 2 -LRB103 26363 LNS 65872 a

1    and experience of the existing utility union workforce.
2        (3) Thermal energy networks have the potential to
3    decarbonize buildings at the community and utility scale
4    and help achieve the goals of Public Act 102-662 (also
5    known as the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act).
6        (4) Thermal energy networks consist of pipe loops
7    between multiple buildings and energy sources, which carry
8    water and can be connected to by building owners to
9    support heating and cooling and hot water services.
10    Building owners can connect to the loops to support water
11    heating and cooling and hot water services.
12        (5) Many utilities in this State have been seeking to
13    develop thermal energy networks but have encountered legal
14    and regulatory barriers.
15        (6) This State has a strong interest in ensuring an
16    adequate supply of reliable electrical power and,
17    therefore, needs to promote the development of alternative
18    power sources and take steps to assure reliable
19    deliverability. Thermal energy networks are highly
20    efficient because they use and exchange thermal energy
21    from many underground sources and buildings, including
22    recycled thermal energy, which minimizes impacts on the
23    electricity grid.
24        (7) Access to thermal energy networks has the
25    potential to reduce the upfront and operating costs of
26    building electrification for customers.

 

 

10300SB1666sam002- 3 -LRB103 26363 LNS 65872 a

1        (8) Thermal loop technology provides benefits to
2    participants and non-participants alike including societal
3    benefits to the environment and the market benefits
4    associated with the reduction of both the volume and peak
5    demand of electricity and natural gas.
6        (9) A utility's access to capital, the utility's
7    experience with networked infrastructure in public
8    rights-of-way, and the requirement that the utility serve
9    all customers positions the utility well to develop and
10    scale thermal energy networks that are accessible to all
11    customers and to coordinate the development of thermal
12    energy networks with any orderly rightsizing of the
13    utility gas system.
14        (10) This State also has an interest in the efficient
15    and reliable delivery of energy and the energy
16    infrastructure of the State, which interest is
17    acknowledged throughout the Public Utilities Act. Utility
18    corporations and other power suppliers share these
19    interests and, moreover, have a duty to protect
20    proprietary interests in the projects they fund. Such
21    investments of ratepayer resources can be protected by
22    establishing effective contractor qualification and
23    performance standards, including requirements for
24    prevailing wage rates, bona fide apprenticeship criteria,
25    and project labor agreements.
26        (11) The construction industry is highly skilled and

 

 

10300SB1666sam002- 4 -LRB103 26363 LNS 65872 a

1    labor intensive, and the installation of modern thermal
2    energy networks involves particularly complex work.
3    Therefore, effective qualification standards for craft
4    labor personnel employed on these projects are critically
5    needed to promote successful project delivery.
6        (12) Finally, these findings are especially vital now
7    because the construction industry is experiencing
8    widespread skill shortages across the country, which are
9    crippling existing capital projects and threatening
10    projects planned for the future. The construction of
11    thermal energy networks will utilize many of the same
12    skills that the current utility and building trades
13    workforces already possess.
14    (b) It is the intent of the General Assembly that passage
15of this Act is for the following purposes:
16        (1) to remove the legal barriers to utility
17    development of thermal energy networks and require the
18    Illinois Commerce Commission, within 90 days after the
19    effective date of this amendatory Act of the 103rd General
20    Assembly, to begin to authorize and direct utilities to
21    immediately commence piloting thermal energy networks in
22    each and every utility territory;
23        (2) to direct and authorize the Illinois Commerce
24    Commission to develop a regulatory structure for utility
25    thermal energy networks that scales affordable and
26    accessible building electrification, protects customers,

 

 

10300SB1666sam002- 5 -LRB103 26363 LNS 65872 a

1    and balances the role of incumbent monopoly utilities with
2    other market and public actors;
3        (3) to promote the successful planning and delivery of
4    thermal energy networks and protect critical investments
5    in such projects by requiring the use of appropriate
6    quality craft labor policies that ensure the development
7    of and access to an adequate supply of well trained,
8    highly skilled craft persons needed to support timely,
9    reliable, high-quality projects;
10        (4) to promote strong economic development and good
11    jobs for local residents in the expanding decarbonized
12    sector by requiring application of progressive State labor
13    and employment policies that ensure public utility
14    investments and related State subsidies create
15    unparalleled skill training and employment opportunities
16    for residents in project areas through the use of local
17    prevailing wage standards and successful, bona fide
18    apprenticeship programs or project labor agreements that
19    incorporate prevailing wage and training standards and
20    provide additional benefits for project owners and
21    workers; and
22        (5) to promote the use of preapprenticeship programs
23    that will fortify and expand existing apprenticeship
24    programs through systematic outreach efforts to recruit
25    and assist persons from underrepresented and low income
26    communities by providing such persons with remedial

 

 

10300SB1666sam002- 6 -LRB103 26363 LNS 65872 a

1    education, social services, and unique opportunities for
2    direct access into high-quality apprenticeship programs
3    and gainful employment in the growing building
4    decarbonization workforce.
 
5    Section 10. The Public Utilities Act is amended by
6changing Section 3-101 and by adding Sections 3-127, 3-128,
7and 8-513 as follows:
 
8    (220 ILCS 5/3-101)  (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 3-101)
9    Sec. 3-101. Definitions. Unless otherwise specified, the
10terms set forth in Sections 3-102 through 3-128 3-126 are used
11in this Act as therein defined.
12(Source: P.A. 97-96, eff. 7-13-11; 97-239, eff. 8-2-11;
1397-813, eff. 7-13-12.)
 
14    (220 ILCS 5/3-127 new)
15    Sec. 3-127. Thermal energy. "Thermal energy" means piped
16noncombustible fluids used for transferring heat into and out
17of buildings for the purpose of reducing any resultant onsite
18greenhouse gas emissions of all types of heating and cooling
19processes, including, but not limited to, comfort heating and
20cooling, domestic hot water, and refrigeration.
 
21    (220 ILCS 5/3-128 new)
22    Sec. 3-128. Thermal energy network. "Thermal energy

 

 

10300SB1666sam002- 7 -LRB103 26363 LNS 65872 a

1network" means all real estate, fixtures, and personal
2property operated, owned, used, or to be used for, in
3connection with, or to facilitate a utility-scale distribution
4infrastructure project that supplies thermal energy.
 
5    (220 ILCS 5/8-513 new)
6    Sec. 8-513. Pilot thermal energy network development.
7    (a) The Illinois Commerce Commission shall initiate a
8proceeding within 6 months after the effective date of this
9amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly to support the
10development of pilot thermal energy networks. The Commission
11shall consider matters in the proceeding, including, but not
12limited to, the appropriate ownership, market, and rate
13structures for pilot thermal energy networks and whether the
14provision of thermal energy services by thermal network energy
15providers is in the public interest.
16    (b) Within 10 months after the effective date of this
17amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly, every gas public
18utility, electric public utility, or combination public
19utility serving over 100,000 customers shall file with the
20Commission a petition seeking Commission approval of at least
21one and no more than 3 proposed pilot thermal energy network
22projects. Designs for the projects should coordinate and
23maximize the value of existing State energy efficiency and
24weatherization programs and take advantage of federal funding
25opportunities to the extent practicable. No later than 18

 

 

10300SB1666sam002- 8 -LRB103 26363 LNS 65872 a

1months after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the
2103rd General Assembly, the Commission shall enter an order
3approving, approving with modification, or rejecting each
4proposed pilot thermal energy network project and shall direct
5the public utility to implement the pilot thermal energy
6network projects as approved or approved as modified. In
7considering whether to approve or approve as modified each
8pilot thermal energy network project, the Commission shall
9consider whether the pilot thermal energy network project is
10in the public interest, whether the pilot thermal energy
11network project will develop information useful for the
12Commission in adopting rules governing thermal energy
13networks, whether the pilot thermal energy network project
14furthers climate justice and emissions reduction, whether the
15pilot thermal energy network project advances financial and
16technical approaches to equitable and affordable building
17electrification, and whether the pilot thermal energy network
18project creates benefits to customers and society at large,
19including, but not limited to, public health benefits in areas
20with disproportionate environmental or public health burdens,
21job retention and creation, reliability, and increased
22affordability of renewable thermal energy options. After the
23filing of a petition, a utility may request the Commission to
24grant additional time for pilot development approval, which
25shall be approved for at least 6 months upon request or up to
2612 months upon a showing that additional time would benefit

 

 

10300SB1666sam002- 9 -LRB103 26363 LNS 65872 a

1pilot development.
2    (c) If a utility proposes 3 pilot thermal energy network
3projects, at least one project shall be proposed in
4economically disadvantaged communities as defined in Section
55-35 of the Energy Transition Act and at least one shall be
6focused on existing electric heat customers. Each public
7utility shall coordinate with other public utilities and
8consultants with expertise on successful pilot projects to
9ensure that the pilot projects are diverse and designed to
10inform the Commission's decisions in the proceeding on the
11various ownership, market, and rate structures for thermal
12energy networks. The pilot project proposals shall be made
13publicly available on the Commission's website. Utilities are
14encouraged to develop plans that enable and facilitate access
15to thermal loop technology benefits, including access by low
16and moderate income households. As part of any pilot project
17proposed pursuant to this Section, a public utility subject to
18this Section may propose to include customer rebates and
19incentives, and associated tariffs and proposed regulatory
20treatment, in a manner similar to what is included in
21Commission-approved electric energy efficiency plans pursuant
22to Section 8-103B of this Act.
23    (d) Any gas public utility, electric public utility, or
24combination public utility constructing or operating a
25Commission-approved pilot thermal energy network project shall
26report to the Commission, on a quarterly basis and until

 

 

10300SB1666sam002- 10 -LRB103 26363 LNS 65872 a

1completion of the pilot thermal energy network project, as
2determined by the Commission, the status of each pilot thermal
3energy network project. The Commission shall post and make
4publicly available the reports on its website. The report
5shall include, but not be limited to:
6        (1) the stage of development of each pilot project;
7        (2) the barriers to development;
8        (3) the number of customers served;
9        (4) the costs of the pilot project;
10        (5) the number of jobs retained or created by the
11    pilot project; and
12        (6) other information the Commission deems to be in
13    the public interest or considers likely to prove useful or
14    relevant to the rulemaking described in subsection (h).
15    (e) Any gas public utility, electric public utility, or
16combination public utility constructing or operating a
17Commission-approved pilot thermal energy network project shall
18demonstrate that it has entered into a labor peace agreement
19with a bona fide labor organization that is actively engaged
20in representing its employees. The labor peace agreement shall
21apply to the employees necessary for the ongoing maintenance
22and operation of the thermal energy network. The labor peace
23agreement shall be an ongoing material condition of
24authorization to maintain and operate the thermal energy
25networks.
26    (f) Any contractor or subcontractor that performs work on

 

 

10300SB1666sam002- 11 -LRB103 26363 LNS 65872 a

1a pilot thermal energy network under this Section shall be a
2responsible bidder as described in Section 30-22 of the
3Illinois Procurement Code and shall certify that not less than
4prevailing wage, as determined under the Prevailing Wage Act,
5was or will be paid to employees who are engaged in
6construction activities associated with the pilot thermal
7energy network project. The contractor or subcontractor shall
8submit evidence to the Commission that it complied with the
9requirements of this subsection.
10    (g) For any pending application for a thermal energy
11network, the contractor or subcontractor shall submit evidence
12that the contractor or subcontractor has entered into a fully
13executed project labor agreement with the applicable local
14building trades council. The Commission shall not approve any
15pending applications until the contractor or subcontractor has
16submitted the information required under this subsection.
17    (h) Within 4 years after the completion of the
18construction of all thermal energy network projects under this
19Section, the Commission shall adopt rules to, at a minimum:
20        (1) create fair market access rules for thermal energy
21    networks to accept thermal energy and that do not increase
22    greenhouse gas emissions or copollutants;
23        (2) to the extent it is in the public interest to do
24    so, exempt small-scale thermal energy networks from active
25    regulation by the Commission;
26        (3) promote the training and transition of utility

 

 

10300SB1666sam002- 12 -LRB103 26363 LNS 65872 a

1    workers impacted by this amendatory Act of the 103rd
2    General Assembly; and
3        (4) encourage third-party participation and
4    competition where it will maximize benefits to customers.
5    (i) A gas public utility, electric public utility, or
6combination public utility required to develop any pilot
7thermal energy network project under this Section shall be
8permitted to recover all reasonable and prudently incurred
9costs associated with the development, construction, and
10operation of one or more pilot thermal energy network projects
11through general rates set pursuant to Section 9-201 or through
12rates set in a Multi-Year Rate Plan pursuant to Section
1316-108.18. The Commission shall have broad discretion in
14approving proposed pilot projects that are consistent with the
15public interest consistent with this Section and in approving
16all tariffs and issue other regulatory approvals as necessary
17to permit a pilot program that facilitates a full review of
18technologies, and associated policies, with respect to thermal
19network technology in this State.
 
20    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
21becoming law.".