WATCH: Legislators urge return to capitol to deal with increasing Illinois energy costs

By Greg Bishop | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Illinois Republicans are demanding that state legislators return to the capitol to deal with soaring energy prices.

During a news conference at Embaras bar and grill in Villa Grove, owner Ryan Garett said his energy costs have skyrocketed in just one month.

“You get a $3,000 bill when you’re not really expecting it. It raises your costs $1,000 in a month, you can’t budget for that,” Garett said. “You can’t plan for that. And then, it has a trickle down effect. We’re at the point where we’ve had to cut back on hours for some of our employees and take up those hours ourselves because we can’t, you know, keep up with payroll to pay that stuff.”

State Rep. Brad Halbrook, R-Shelbyville, said while Gov. J.B. Pritzker blames the increased costs on grid operators and President Donald Trump, Democrats need reverse course.

“The very communities the governor and his allies claim to help have been abandoned under [the Clean and Equitable Jobs Act] and its predecessor to the Future Energy Jobs Act of 2016, Illinois has been shutting down affordable, reliable coal and natural gas plants, so sources that actually work and are critical to grid stability,” Halbrook said. “But why? To appease the climate alarmists who think we can power Illinois with windmills and wishful thinking.”

State Rep. Chris Miller, R-Oakland, said it’s time to ditch the “green energy scam.”

“We have over 200 billion tons of big, beautiful coal available. All we have to do is go get it,” Miller said. “It would be a tremendous driver for jobs and opportunity. This whole CEJA thing, this whole green energy scam needs to be thrown in the garbage where it belongs.”

The Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition put the blame on increased energy prices on the Trump administration’s roll backs of tax incentives for “clean energy” and “Big Tech’s energy-hungry data centers.”

“As new federal policies make our power dirtier and more expensive, it is crucial that Illinois lawmakers can step up to the plate this fall and pass the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act to protect families from utility bill spikes, preserve and grow our clean energy workforce, and maintain our national leadership on climate action,” the coalition said in a news release.

Energy consulting firm Energy Professionals reported ComEd’s rates increased 53% and Ameren Illinois’ rates increased 47%.