Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of Public Act 098-0447
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Public Act 098-0447


 

Public Act 0447 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

  
  

 


 
Public Act 098-0447
 
HB2753 EnrolledLRB098 10899 JDS 41429 b

    AN ACT concerning energy.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Lake
Michigan Wind Energy Act.
 
    Section 5. Legislative findings. The General Assembly
finds:
    (1) that Lake Michigan is a unique and treasured public
asset that supports numerous activities for the benefit of the
people, wildlife, and flora of the State of Illinois;
    (2) that the bed of Lake Michigan is public land held in
trust for the people of the State of Illinois and cannot be
alienated to a private use or person;
    (3) that federal and State policy, as well as the national
security, energy, and environmental needs of the United States
and the people of the State of Illinois, support exploration
and development of renewable energy resources;
    (4) that the State of Illinois is a signatory to a federal
and multistate memorandum of understanding and is committed to
promoting the efficient, expeditious, orderly, and responsible
evaluation of offshore wind power projects in the Great Lakes;
    (5) that wind above the Illinois public trust lands of Lake
Michigan is a unique and significant renewable energy resource;
    (6) that the development of that resource does not involve
mining or other extraction of resources from the public trust
lands of Lake Michigan;
    (7) that so long as all affected public trust lands and
waters of Lake Michigan remain under public ownership and
control, the environmentally sustainable provision of
renewable energy from offshore wind above Lake Michigan, in
accordance with standards set by State and federal law and
regulated by the State agency charged with protecting public
trust lands and the public interest, would serve a public
purpose and can be consistent with the public trust;
    (8) that the State's Lake Michigan Offshore Wind Energy
Advisory Council recommended clarifying and confirming the
State's authority to permit such development and has made other
recommendations to further the sustainable and responsible
development of the State's wind energy resources above Lake
Michigan; and
    (9) that the State of Illinois should consider the
recommendations, criteria, and lessons learned from the
Advisory Council's Final Report, as well as new data,
technologies, and scientific understandings, as it formulates
rules to regulate offshore wind energy development in a manner
that preserves public trust resources, produces public
benefits, and protects the environment and public health,
safety, and welfare.
 
    Section 10. Definitions. As used in this Act:
        "Public trust lands" means the bed of Lake Michigan.
        "Department" means the Department of Natural
    Resources.
 
    Section 15. Wind energy siting matrix. The Department shall
develop a detailed offshore wind energy siting matrix for the
public trust lands of Lake Michigan, which shall, at a minimum,
identify areas that are unsuitable for wind energy development
("prohibited areas"), areas that are most appropriate for wind
energy development ("preferred areas"), and areas that are
neither prohibited nor preferred for wind energy development
but that may be considered for development upon application
("possible areas"). The Department, in developing the wind
energy siting matrix, shall take into consideration existing
environmental, marine, public infrastructure, transportation,
and security uses and factors, and may also consider other
factors it identifies as appropriate.
 
    Section 20. Offshore Wind Energy Economic Development
Policy Task Force.
    (a) The Governor shall convene an Offshore Wind Energy
Economic Development Policy Task Force, to be chaired by the
Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, or his or her
designee, to analyze and evaluate policy and economic options
to facilitate the development of offshore wind energy, and to
propose an appropriate Illinois mechanism for purchasing and
selling power from possible offshore wind energy projects. The
Task Force shall examine mechanisms used in other states and
jurisdictions, including, without limitation, feed-in-tariffs,
renewable energy certificates, renewable energy certificate
carve-outs, power purchase agreements, and pilot projects. The
Task Force shall report its findings and recommendations to the
Governor and General Assembly by December 31, 2013.
    (b) The Director of the Illinois Power Agency (or his or
her designee), the Executive Director of the Illinois Commerce
Commission (or his or her designee), the Director of Natural
Resources (or his or her designee), and the Attorney General
(or his or her designee) shall serve as ex officio members of
the Task Force.
    (c) The Governor shall appoint the following public members
to serve on the Task Force:
        (1) one individual from an institution of higher
    education in Illinois representing the discipline of
    economics with experience in the study of renewable energy;
        (2) one individual representing an energy industry
    with experience in renewable energy markets;
        (3) one individual representing a Statewide consumer
    or electric ratepayer organization;
        (4) one individual representing the offshore wind
    energy industry;
        (5) one individual representing the wind energy supply
    chain industry;
        (6) one individual representing an Illinois electrical
    cooperative, municipal electrical utility, or association
    of such cooperatives or utilities;
        (7) one individual representing an Illinois industrial
    union involved in the construction, maintenance, or
    transportation of electrical generation, distribution, or
    transmission equipment or components;
        (8) one individual representing an Illinois commercial
    or industrial electrical consumer;
        (9) one individual representing an Illinois public
    education electrical consumer;
        (10) one individual representing an independent
    transmission company;
        (11) one individual from the Illinois legal community
    with experience in contracts, utility law, municipal law,
    and constitutional law;
        (12) one individual representing a Great Lakes
    regional organization with experience assessing or
    studying wind energy;
        (13) one individual representing a Statewide
    environmental organization;
        (14) one resident of the State representing an
    organization advocating for persons of low or limited
    incomes;
        (15) one individual representing Argonne National
    Laboratory; and
        (16) one individual representing a local community
    that has aggregated the purchase of electricity.
    (d) The Governor may appoint additional public members to
the Task Force.
    (e) The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Minority
Leader of the House of Representatives, Senate President, and
Minority Leader of the Senate shall each appoint one member of
the General Assembly to serve on the Task Force.
    (f) Members of the Task Force shall serve without
compensation.
 
    Section 25. Assessment permits. After finalizing the wind
energy siting matrix required under Section 15, the Department
may, in accordance with rules adopted by the Department
pursuant to Section 5-40 of the Illinois Administrative
Procedure Act and with the written approval of the Governor,
grant in the name of the State of Illinois permits and site
leases with respect to public trust lands of Lake Michigan for
the assessment of sites for offshore wind energy development.
 
    Section 30. Permits for wind park construction and
operation. The Department may, in accordance with rules adopted
by the Department pursuant to Section 5-40 of the Illinois
Administrative Procedure Act, convert site assessment leases
to offshore wind park construction and operation leases, upon
an appropriate showing by the applicant that the construction
and operation of wind energy facilities would not be
inconsistent with the public trust.
 
    Section 35. Permit terms. The Department may insert into
any permit or lease issued under this Act any terms that it
deems necessary to protect the rights of the State, the public,
lessees, and users of waters above the public trust lands of
Lake Michigan.
 
    Section 40. Rulemaking. The Department may adopt, in
accordance with the requirements of Section 5-40 of the
Illinois Administrative Procedure Act, any rule that is
necessary to implement this Act. The rules adopted by the
Department under this Section shall, at a minimum, specify
permit fees and royalty schedules, requirements for bonding and
guaranteeing, requirements for decommissioning, and any other
requirements necessary for carrying out the provisions of this
Act.
    Prior to adopting any rule under this Act, the Department
shall consult with the Illinois Environmental Protection
Agency, the Illinois Commerce Commission, the Illinois Power
Agency, and the Department of Commerce and Economic
Opportunity.
 
    Section 45. Regulatory toolkit. The Department shall, in
consultation with the Illinois Environmental Protection
Agency, the Illinois Commerce Commission, the Illinois Power
Agency, and the Department of Commerce and Economic
Opportunity, prepare and publish a toolkit for advising and
guiding developers on the regulatory and permitting process.
The toolkit shall, at a minimum, include a checklist of
required State permits and an overview of estimated timelines
and likely areas of concern.
 
    Section 50. Limitation on Department Authority. Nothing
contained in this Act shall be construed as requiring or
permitting the Department to permanently convey any public
trust lands for energy development.
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.

Effective Date: 8/16/2013