SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA) and a coalition of nearly two dozen businesses and labor groups including the International Union of Operating Engineers today filed a petition with the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) seeking to halt efforts to phase out the use of natural gas citing a looming electricity shortage.
The request follows a study by the state of Illinois that found electricity shortages could begin as soon as 2029 as demand far outpaces supply – an imbalance that is only expected to worsen due to forced retirement of baseload generation sources under state law. The study emphasized the importance of maintaining and strategically managing resource retirements in Illinois, particularly “thermal generation” sources including natural gas to maintain electric grid reliability and blunt rising costs.
Given those findings, the groups warned in their filing before the ICC that continuing efforts to phase out natural gas and electrify the gas system “is unreasonable and ill-advised” and will harm economic investment and community well-being.
“It makes no sense to pursue the elimination of a source of energy for Illinois residents that is abundant, reliable and affordable… and which remains critical to support their well-being, as well as future economic development in the state,” the filing states.
The groups note that the state’s energy landscape is dramatically different than when Future of Gas proceedings began two years ago, with consumers experiencing skyrocketing electricity costs due to resource constraints. They argue the ICC has no statutory authority to drastically change the state’s gas distribution system and that the proceedings are “duplicative” and a waste of resources. The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) already requires the creation of a Mitigation Plan by the Illinois Power Agency and Illinois Environmental Protection Agency with “robust procedural mechanisms and opportunities for stakeholder input,” rendering the Future of Gas proceedings redundant.
“We don’t need yet another study to tell us what we already know: Illinois is facing an energy crisis of its own making,” said Mark Denzler, president and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “Our grid clearly cannot handle the loss of additional generation, including the elimination of natural gas which is also a feedstock for American manufacturers and is present in nearly every consumer product. There’s no time to waste, we need an all-of-the-above energy approach that prioritizes maintaining and expanding baseload generation sources, adding new generation, investing in transmission, and affordable battery storage and technology like carbon capture and sequestration.”
A reliable and affordable electric grid isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity for the health and well-being of our communities, as well as continued economic growth and job creation.
“Families and businesses need reliable, affordable energy. While we support efforts to create a greener energy future, we must ensure a smooth transition that does not disrupt everyday life,” said James M. Sweeney, President-Business Manager, International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 150, AFL-CIO. “Illinois simply can’t afford to eliminate a key source of energy production like natural gas. Not only would it cause chaos for our electric grid – jobs would be lost and communities would suffer.”
About the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA)
The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association is the only statewide association dedicated exclusively to advocating, promoting and strengthening the manufacturing sector in Illinois. The IMA is the oldest and largest state manufacturing trade association in the United States, representing nearly 4,000 companies and facilities. For more information, please visit http://ima-net.org/.