News Stories

Parties filed briefs on exceptions to the proposed order (PO). Of note, Staff: (1) said that it intended the plan to provide options to ICC rather than “a comprehensive list of tasks for Staff to accomplish all at the same time,” recommending ICC develop, potential via workshop, prioritization of “the list of tasks in a realistic manner or advise some of those studies be conducted” by appropriate stakeholders; (2) noted that it purposefully had not included specific dates for tasks, given that is unclear if or when there will be funding for studies directed in the PO; and (3) noted that ICC is limited in what it “may effectuate in this realm of renewable energy access planning,” particular where state law does not provide explicit funding, given that transmission planning is FERC-regulated and Illinois has deregulated generation,“ and questioned wither it “is the appropriate entity to conduct all of these highly technical studies,” objecting to “the imposition of deadlines and obligations without the provision of sufficient funding or resources.” 

As background, based on recent additions to the Public Utilities Act, the ICC opened this proceeding to facilitate development of a Renewable Energy Access Plan (REAP). Under state law, through the REAP the ICC must:

designate REAP zones throughout Illinois in areas in which renewable energy resources and suitable land areas are sufficient for developing generating capacity from renewable energy technologies;

develop a plan to achieve transmission capacity necessary to deliver the electric output from renewable energy technologies in the REAP zones to customers in Illinois and other states in a manner that is most beneficial and cost-effective to customers;

use Illinois’s position as an electricity generation and power transmission hub to create new investment in Illinois’s renewable energy resources;

consider programs, policies, and electric transmission projects that can be adopted and that promote the cost-effective delivery of power from renewable energy resources interconnected to the bulk electric system to meet the state RPS targets;

consider proposals to improve RTOs’ regional and interregional system planning processes, especially proposals that reduce costs and emissions, create jobs, and increase Illinois and regional power system reliability to prevent high-cost outages that can endanger lives, and analyze of how those proposals would improve reliability and cost-effective delivery of electricity in Illinois and the region;

make findings and policy recommendations based on technical and policy analysis regarding locations of REAP zones and the transmission system developments needed to cost-effectively achieve the public policy goals identified herein; and

present the ICC’s conclusions and proposed recommendations based on its analysis and use the findings and policy recommendations to determine actions that the ICC should take.

Other Briefs on Exceptions include:

ELCON Brief on Exceptions

NRG Brief on Exceptions

LS Power Brief on Exceptions

Ameren Illinois Brief on Exceptions

ELPC Brief on Exceptions

ComEd Brief on Exceptions

Advanced Energy United Brief on Exceptions

Union of Concerned Scientists Brief on Exceptions

Notice of Administrative Law Judge Ruling (03/272024)

22-0749 (Opened 12/15/2022)
Initiation of an Investigation to develop and adopt a Renewable Energy Access Plan pursuant to Section 8-512 of the Public Utilities Act.