Illinois joining other states in establishing long-term energy plan

Gov. J.B. Pritzker is joining three other Democratic governors to urge the country’s largest electricity company to plan for more zero-carbon power as demand goes up.

In a letter to PJM Interconnection, Pritzker and the governors from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland said collaboration is essential to accomplish a “collective vision.” The states are asking the company to comply with a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) directive and coordinate with states and stakeholders.

“While it appears that PJM intends to correct course, the governors’ letter serves as a push to comply with FERC’s directive and coordinate with states and stakeholders,” said Mike Jacobs, senior energy analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). “FERC’s rule directs all RTOs, including PJM, to develop long-term plans for expanding transmission in a way that will ensure reliability, affordability, and access to clean energy for all.”

Jacobs said his group has pushed for strong transmission planning rules for the past 15 years, arguing reforms are critical to provide more communities with access to clean energy, ensure grid reliability and enhance affordability.

In a rush to convert to clean energy, some states with Illinois included, have been criticized for not having a plan in place while taking coal plants offline.

“There are a lot of the coal plants that are 50 to 60 years old and the competitive market has been very reluctant to plan for their retirement,” said Jacobs.

Pritzker’s goal is to have 1 million electric vehicles on Illinois roads by the year 2030, an ambitious plan considering the charging infrastructure is not close to being able to handle that many electric vehicles.

“It may seem obvious that we should be planning for the grid of the future, but it simply hasn’t been happening across large swathes of the country,” said Sam Gomberg, the manager of transmission policy and a senior energy analyst at UCS. “This was particularly glaring at PJM, the nation's largest grid operator, where a failure to conduct robust long-term transmission planning resulted in piecemeal and often inadequate transmission system investments that ultimately raise costs for consumers."