Letter writers say public must be able to afford costs of investment.
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Dear Editor,
The future of energy policy in Illinois could soon be here. The major utilities, clean energy proponents and others are all pushing legislation at the state Capitol that could greatly impact how we receive energy in our homes and businesses around the state.
As the debate continues this spring, we have one word of caution: carefully consider the costs for consumers.
We recently worked with energy expert Mark Pruitt, former director of the Illinois Power Agency, to look at the cost impacts of the last two major pieces of energy legislation in Illinois – the 2011 Energy Infrastructure Modernization Act that created the SmartGrid program, and the 2016 Future Energy Jobs Act that promoted clean energy investment and provided state subsidies for two Exelon Generation nuclear plants.
Our study found significant additional consumer costs from these laws: nearly $20 billion – billion with a b – in higher electric rates over a period of 14 years.