Lisa Hernandez Passes Cost-Saving Utilities, Protects Taxpayer Dollars

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Working to provide more relief to Illinoisans facing rising energy costs, state Rep. Elizabeth ‘Lisa’ Hernandez, D-Cicero, passed reforms last Wednesday that seek to bring down home energy bills.

“Creating a high-tech economy that attracts talented workers and puts Illinois at the forefront of research and development cannot and should not come at the expense of the hardworking taxpayers of the state of Illinois, and now it won” Hernandez said. “Our energy reforms package not only bolsters our ability to capture clean energy during peak generation, it expands storage capacity for off-peak times and gives us the tools to meaningfully reduce the average Illinoisan’s utility bill month after month, and year after year. Weaning our state off of fossil fuels and supporting working families has never been a battle of two opposing goals, and tonight’s legislation proves exactly that.”

Many Illinois residents have seen home energy costs skyrocket. Increased power demands from new high-tech businesses and Washington’s massive tax bill threaten to raise costs even further—resulting in $9.5 billion in increased state energy costs. The Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act (Senate Bill 25) puts Illinois on better footing to counteract rising energy prices by tapping into:

– Capturing clean energy: By capturing and redistributing energy already being produced, including from home solar panels, ComEd customers can see immediate relief on monthly costs.
– Increasing battery storage: By building out our grid to increase the state’s battery storage, power systems will become more reliable and affordable to power millions of Illinois homes.
– Investing in energy efficiency programs: Senate Bill 25 directly expands energy efficiency programs for residents, lowering electricity prices by reducing overall demand, and improves equity in programs by allocating a minimum amount of funds to support low-income customers.

The measure will additionally create up to 115,000 jobs, counteracting job insecurity and layoffs caused by the federal budget bill— including 50,000 manufacturing jobs projected to be lost in Illinois. As utility demands increase during the fall and winter months, Senate Bill 25 will play a significant role in meeting the state’s energy needs, strengthening reliability and helping manage untenable costs for customers for both short- and long-term relief.

“People in my community already struggle with high grocery, gas and housing costs,” Hernandez said. “These measures will make a tangible difference in how much they can save for the future, put toward their child’s education or how much they can reinvest in their local economy. “

Hernandez has dedicated her career to lowering costs for families and seniors on fixed incomes. In the most recent state budget, Hernandez negotiated an expansion of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to include more seniors.