HJ0043 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0043 LRB096 12083 MJR 24140 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Electricity prices in the past 3 years have been volatile, particularly for states that have deregulated their public utility electric generation; and

WHEREAS, Non-residential customers have a wide variety of non-utility retail electricity suppliers that provide them a choice of competitive electricity supply; and

WHEREAS, Alternative retail sources of electricity have not developed to any great extent for residential customers since residential customer choice was enacted in Illinois in 2002; and

WHEREAS, The volatility of electricity prices has placed financial stress on residential customers, and low-income residential customers in particular; and

WHEREAS, Since 2001, many states have abandoned, modified, or curtailed their public utility deregulation initiatives; and

WHEREAS, Several states that deregulated their public utilities prior to 2001, including Illinois, have explored ways to mitigate the more volatile aspects of deregulation; and

WHEREAS, One of the methods of mitigating price volatility being considered by some states is to allow and facilitate the reintegration of electric generation with their public utilities as a way to provide regulatory price stability to their residential customers; and

WHEREAS, Some public utilities are in the process of analyzing the possibility of reintegrating some affiliated electric generation facilities or constructing electric generation facilities to mitigate price volatility for residential customers; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Power Agency was created by Public Act 95-0481 and its duties, in part, require the development of "electricity procurement plans to ensure adequate, reliable, affordable, efficient, and environmentally sustainable electric service at the lowest cost over time, taking into account any benefits of price stability"; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that the Illinois Power Agency in its annual report to the General Assembly as required by Public Act 95-0481 include a discussion about how the Illinois Power Agency could work in cooperation with Illinois electric public utilities to look into the feasibility of (1) integrating existing electric generating facilities into an Illinois electric public utility or (2) the construction of electric generating facilities by an Illinois electric public utility, or any combination thereof, in order to provide rate stability or other benefits to their residential customers; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be delivered to the Director of the Illinois Power Agency.