| |||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | AN ACT concerning wind energy.
| ||||||
2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
| ||||||
3 | represented in the General Assembly:
| ||||||
4 | Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Lake | ||||||
5 | Michigan Offshore Wind Energy Advisory Council Act. | ||||||
6 | Section 5. Definitions. In this Act: | ||||||
7 | "Council" means the Lake Michigan Offshore Wind Energy | ||||||
8 | Advisory Council created under this Act. | ||||||
9 | "Department" means the Illinois Department of Natural | ||||||
10 | Resources. | ||||||
11 | "Local government" means county, township, or | ||||||
12 | municipality. | ||||||
13 | Section 10. The Lake Michigan Offshore Wind Energy | ||||||
14 | Recommendation Report. | ||||||
15 | (a) In order to assist in the evaluation and consideration | ||||||
16 | of offshore wind energy projects in Illinois waters of Lake | ||||||
17 | Michigan, the Department shall examine the topics identified in | ||||||
18 | subsection (b) of this Section and report its findings and | ||||||
19 | recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly by June | ||||||
20 | 30, 2012. During preparation of the report, the Department is | ||||||
21 | not expected to fund or perform original scientific studies. | ||||||
22 | (b) In preparing a report, the Department shall evaluate |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | all of the following: | ||||||
2 | (1) Appropriate criteria for the Department to use to | ||||||
3 | review applications for offshore wind development of Lake | ||||||
4 | Michigan lakebed leases. | ||||||
5 | (2) Criteria for identifying areas that are favorable, | ||||||
6 | acceptable, and unacceptable for offshore wind | ||||||
7 | development, including, but not limited to, impacts to | ||||||
8 | wildlife, protected habitats, navigation, commercial | ||||||
9 | fisheries, and recreational uses of Lake Michigan. | ||||||
10 | (3) A recommended process for ensuring public | ||||||
11 | engagement in the Department's process for leasing Lake | ||||||
12 | Michigan lakebed for offshore wind energy projects. | ||||||
13 | (4) Options for how the State shall be compensated for | ||||||
14 | Lake Michigan lakebed leasing. | ||||||
15 | (5) A summary of the lessons learned from other | ||||||
16 | domestic and international offshore wind development | ||||||
17 | experiences, including, but not limited to, those related | ||||||
18 | to public policy, regulatory, and siting concerns for | ||||||
19 | offshore wind development. | ||||||
20 | (6) Identification of local, State, and federal | ||||||
21 | authorities with permitting, siting, or other approval | ||||||
22 | authority for wind power development in Lake Michigan. | ||||||
23 | (7) Recommendations for needed State legislation and | ||||||
24 | regulations governing offshore wind farm development. | ||||||
25 | Section 15. The Lake Michigan Offshore Wind Energy Advisory |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | Council. | ||||||
2 | (a) The Council is created as a separate entity within the | ||||||
3 | Department of Natural Resources and shall consist of the | ||||||
4 | Director or Chairman, or their designee, of the following 5 | ||||||
5 | State agencies: | ||||||
6 | (1) The Department of Natural Resources. | ||||||
7 | (2) The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. | ||||||
8 | (3) The Illinois Power Agency. | ||||||
9 | (4) The Illinois Commerce Commission. | ||||||
10 | (5) The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. | ||||||
11 | (b) The Director of Natural Resources shall serve as | ||||||
12 | chairperson of the Council. The chairperson shall select the | ||||||
13 | following public members to serve on the Council: | ||||||
14 | (1) One individual representing a statewide | ||||||
15 | environmental organization. | ||||||
16 | (2) One individual representing the tourism industry. | ||||||
17 | (3) One resident of the State representing an Illinois | ||||||
18 | institution of higher education. | ||||||
19 | (4) Two residents of the State representing lakefront | ||||||
20 | communities.
| ||||||
21 | (5) One individual representing an electrical utility | ||||||
22 | industry. | ||||||
23 | (6) One individual representing an independent | ||||||
24 | transmission company. | ||||||
25 | (7) One individual representing the offshore wind | ||||||
26 | energy industry. |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | (8) One individual representing local government | ||||||
2 | officials. | ||||||
3 | (9) One individual representing a regional | ||||||
4 | environmental organization. | ||||||
5 | (10) One individual representing the commercial | ||||||
6 | fishing industry. | ||||||
7 | (11) One individual representing the recreational | ||||||
8 | boating community.
| ||||||
9 | (c) At his or her discretion, the chairperson may appoint | ||||||
10 | additional public members to the Council. | ||||||
11 | (d) The Speaker of the House, Minority Leader of the House, | ||||||
12 | Senate President, and Minority Leader of the Senate shall each | ||||||
13 | appoint one member of the General Assembly to serve on the | ||||||
14 | Council.
| ||||||
15 | (e) Members of the Council shall serve without | ||||||
16 | compensation. | ||||||
17 | (f) The Council shall examine the topics identified in | ||||||
18 | subsection (b) of Section 10 of this Act and shall make | ||||||
19 | recommendations to the Department during the preparation of the | ||||||
20 | report to the General Assembly and Governor.
| ||||||
21 | Section 20. Repeal of Act. This Act shall be repealed on | ||||||
22 | July 1, 2012.
| ||||||
23 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, | ||||||
24 | 2011.
|