20 ILCS 3855/1-20

(20 ILCS 3855/1-20)

Sec. 1-20. General powers and duties of the Agency.

(a) The Agency is authorized to do each of the following:

(1) Develop electricity procurement plans to ensure adequate, reliable, affordable, efficient, and environmentally sustainable electric service at the lowest total cost over time, taking into account any benefits of price stability, for electric utilities that on December 31, 2005 provided electric service to at least 100,000 customers in Illinois and for small multi-jurisdictional electric utilities that (A) on December 31, 2005 served less than 100,000 customers in Illinois and (B) request a procurement plan for their Illinois jurisdictional load. Except as provided in paragraph (1.5) of this subsection (a), the electricity procurement plans shall be updated on an annual basis and shall include electricity generated from renewable resources sufficient to achieve the standards specified in this Act. Beginning with the delivery year commencing June 1, 2017, develop procurement plans to include zero emission credits generated from zero emission facilities sufficient to achieve the standards specified in this Act. Beginning with the delivery year commencing on June 1, 2022, the Agency is authorized to develop carbon mitigation credit procurement plans to include carbon mitigation credits generated from carbon-free energy resources sufficient to achieve the standards specified in this Act.

(1.5) Develop a long-term renewable resources procurement plan in accordance with subsection (c) of Section 1-75 of this Act for renewable energy credits in amounts sufficient to achieve the standards specified in this Act for delivery years commencing June 1, 2017 and for the programs and renewable energy credits specified in Section 1-56 of this Act. Electricity procurement plans for delivery years commencing after May 31, 2017, shall not include procurement of renewable energy resources.

(2) Conduct competitive procurement processes to procure the supply resources identified in the electricity procurement plan, pursuant to Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act, and, for the delivery year commencing June 1, 2017, conduct procurement processes to procure zero emission credits from zero emission facilities, under subsection (d-5) of Section 1-75 of this Act. For the delivery year commencing June 1, 2022, the Agency is authorized to conduct procurement processes to procure carbon mitigation credits from carbon-free energy resources, under subsection (d-10) of Section 1-75 of this Act.

(2.5) Beginning with the procurement for the 2017 delivery year, conduct competitive procurement processes and implement programs to procure renewable energy credits identified in the long-term renewable resources procurement plan developed and approved under subsection (c) of Section 1-75 of this Act and Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act.

(2.10) Oversee the procurement by electric utilities that served more than 300,000 customers in this State as of January 1, 2019 of renewable energy credits from new renewable energy facilities to be installed, along with energy storage facilities, at or adjacent to the sites of electric generating facilities that burned coal as their primary fuel source as of January 1, 2016 in accordance with subsection (c-5) of Section 1-75 of this Act.

(2.15) Oversee the procurement by electric utilities of renewable energy credits from newly modernized or retooled hydropower dams or dams that have been converted to support hydropower generation.

(3) Develop electric generation and co-generation facilities that use indigenous coal or renewable resources, or both, financed with bonds issued by the Illinois Finance Authority.

(4) Supply electricity from the Agency's facilities at cost to one or more of the following: municipal electric systems, governmental aggregators, or rural electric cooperatives in Illinois.

(b) Except as otherwise limited by this Act, the Agency has all of the powers necessary or convenient to carry out the purposes and provisions of this Act, including without limitation, each of the following:

(1) To have a corporate seal, and to alter that seal at pleasure, and to use it by causing it or a facsimile to be affixed or impressed or reproduced in any other manner.

(2) To use the services of the Illinois Finance Authority necessary to carry out the Agency's purposes.

(3) To negotiate and enter into loan agreements and other agreements with the Illinois Finance Authority.

(4) To obtain and employ personnel and hire consultants that are necessary to fulfill the Agency's purposes, and to make expenditures for that purpose within the appropriations for that purpose.

(5) To purchase, receive, take by grant, gift, devise, bequest, or otherwise, lease, or otherwise acquire, own, hold, improve, employ, use, and otherwise deal in and with, real or personal property whether tangible or intangible, or any interest therein, within the State.

(6) To acquire real or personal property, whether tangible or intangible, including without limitation property rights, interests in property, franchises, obligations, contracts, and debt and equity securities, and to do so by the exercise of the power of eminent domain in accordance with Section 1-21; except that any real property acquired by the exercise of the power of eminent domain must be located within the State.

(7) To sell, convey, lease, exchange, transfer, abandon, or otherwise dispose of, or mortgage, pledge, or create a security interest in, any of its assets, properties, or any interest therein, wherever situated.

(8) To purchase, take, receive, subscribe for, or otherwise acquire, hold, make a tender offer for, vote, employ, sell, lend, lease, exchange, transfer, or otherwise dispose of, mortgage, pledge, or grant a security interest in, use, and otherwise deal in and with, bonds and other obligations, shares, or other securities (or interests therein) issued by others, whether engaged in a similar or different business or activity.

(9) To make and execute agreements, contracts, and other instruments necessary or convenient in the exercise of the powers and functions of the Agency under this Act, including contracts with any person, including personal service contracts, or with any local government, State agency, or other entity; and all State agencies and all local governments are authorized to enter into and do all things necessary to perform any such agreement, contract, or other instrument with the Agency. No such agreement, contract, or other instrument shall exceed 40 years.

(10) To lend money, invest and reinvest its funds in accordance with the Public Funds Investment Act, and take and hold real and personal property as security for the payment of funds loaned or invested.

(11) To borrow money at such rate or rates of interest as the Agency may determine, issue its notes, bonds, or other obligations to evidence that indebtedness, and secure any of its obligations by mortgage or pledge of its real or personal property, machinery, equipment, structures, fixtures, inventories, revenues, grants, and other funds as provided or any interest therein, wherever situated.

(12) To enter into agreements with the Illinois Finance Authority to issue bonds whether or not the income therefrom is exempt from federal taxation.

(13) To procure insurance against any loss in connection with its properties or operations in such amount or amounts and from such insurers, including the federal government, as it may deem necessary or desirable, and to pay any premiums therefor.

(14) To negotiate and enter into agreements with trustees or receivers appointed by United States bankruptcy courts or federal district courts or in other proceedings involving adjustment of debts and authorize proceedings involving adjustment of debts and authorize legal counsel for the Agency to appear in any such proceedings.

(15) To file a petition under Chapter 9 of Title 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code or take other similar action for the adjustment of its debts.

(16) To enter into management agreements for the operation of any of the property or facilities owned by the Agency.

(17) To enter into an agreement to transfer and to transfer any land, facilities, fixtures, or equipment of the Agency to one or more municipal electric systems, governmental aggregators, or rural electric agencies or cooperatives, for such consideration and upon such terms as the Agency may determine to be in the best interest of the residents of Illinois.

(18) To enter upon any lands and within any building whenever in its judgment it may be necessary for the purpose of making surveys and examinations to accomplish any purpose authorized by this Act.

(19) To maintain an office or offices at such place or places in the State as it may determine.

(20) To request information, and to make any inquiry, investigation, survey, or study that the Agency may deem necessary to enable it effectively to carry out the provisions of this Act.

(21) To accept and expend appropriations.

(22) To engage in any activity or operation that is incidental to and in furtherance of efficient operation to accomplish the Agency's purposes, including hiring employees that the Director deems essential for the operations of the Agency.

(23) To adopt, revise, amend, and repeal rules with respect to its operations, properties, and facilities as may be necessary or convenient to carry out the purposes of this Act, subject to the provisions of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act and Sections 1-22 and 1-35 of this Act.

(24) To establish and collect charges and fees as described in this Act.

(25) To conduct competitive gasification feedstock procurement processes to procure the feedstocks for the clean coal SNG brownfield facility in accordance with the requirements of Section 1-78 of this Act.

(26) To review, revise, and approve sourcing agreements and mediate and resolve disputes between gas utilities and the clean coal SNG brownfield facility pursuant to subsection (h-1) of Section 9-220 of the Public Utilities Act.

(27) To request, review and accept proposals, execute contracts, purchase renewable energy credits and otherwise dedicate funds from the Illinois Power Agency Renewable Energy Resources Fund to create and carry out the objectives of the Illinois Solar for All Program in accordance with Section 1-56 of this Act.

(28) To ensure Illinois residents and business benefit from programs administered by the Agency and are properly protected from any deceptive or misleading marketing practices by participants in the Agency's programs and procurements.

(c) In conducting the procurement of electricity or other products, beginning January 1, 2022, the Agency shall not procure any products or services from persons or organizations that are in violation of the Displaced Energy Workers Bill of Rights, as provided under the Energy Community Reinvestment Act at the time of the procurement event or fail to comply the labor standards established in subparagraph (Q) of paragraph (1) of subsection (c) of Section 1-75.

(Source: P.A. 102-662, eff. 9-15-21; 103-380, eff. 1-1-24.)