The Illinois House is expected to reconvene in special session this week. 99th District Representative Mike Murphy told WTAX this morning that the house is expected to come back to Springfield on Thursday.
The likely reason: the outstanding energy bill that the Senate passed during special session last week. The bill, which was filed over the weekend, includes an amendment requiring a 100 percent reduction in carbon emissions for municipal coal by 2045 with the additional goal of reducing emissions by 45 percent by 2035. The amendment apparently has the support of Governor J.B. Pritzker.
In addition to a specific timeline for the closure of coal plants, this bill as amended also includes interim carbon pollution reductions for the Prairie State coal plant and CWLP’s Dallman coal plant in Springfield. Many groups have said the new legislation will cause utility prices to rise considerably over the next 5 years.