IL Freedom Caucus calls for comprehensive approach to Illinois’ energy policy that prioritizes working families

From left to right: State Reps. Blaine Wilhour, Dan Caulkins, Jed Davis, Chris Miller, Adam Niemerg, Brad Halbrook. Photo submitted by IL Freedom Caucus.

For Immediate Release – February 9, 2023

Springfield, IL – The Illinois Freedom Caucus held a press conference on Wednesday to address the rising cost of energy for Illinois consumers.

At the press conference, State Representative Chris Miller (R-Oakland) pointed to a copy of an electric bill that was more than twice the amount of the bill from the previous year.

“I hear all of the time from people in my district who are experiencing the same thing,” Miller said. “Families are already struggling to pay their bills. They can’t afford to pay double the cost to heat and cool their homes. It is time for the Legislature to finally put the need of average citizens first.”

The higher energy prices are also hurting small businesses. The Kincaid Food Market in Kinkaid, IL is closing its doors for good. In a Facebook post on Jan. 26, the store owners wrote: “It is with broken hearts that we have to announce, February 5th will be our last OPEN business day. For we are closing our doors due to the rising cost of utilities and products.” According to news reports, their utility bills had grown to more than $10,000.

“Business owners, residential customers are paying more for energy and the trend is for these costs to keep increasing,” said State Representative Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City). “What is driving these price hikes is the unwillingness of the Democrat majority to take an all above approach toward meeting our current and future energy needs. My colleagues and I have no issue with the development of alternative sources of energy. What we have an issue with is the heavy hand of government forcing the closure of power plants before there are viable alternatives in place. Having access to affordable and reliable energy is not a luxury – it is a necessity. The story of the Kinkaid Food Market is one we will continue to see play out as long as our energy policies prioritize political ideology above the lives of working families.”

Wilhour noted that states adopting similar radical policies as the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) have had similar price increases. California has some of the most stringent energy policies in the nation. Electric costs in California have increased five times as fast as the rest of the country in the last 12 years.

“Illinois is rapidly becoming the next California,” Wilhour said. “JB Pritzker is angling to shore up the radical base of the Democrat party to run for President in 2024 and every-day Illinois families are paying the price. There is no question that electric bills are going up and there is no question as to why. When you use the force of government to shut down power plants – you force power delivery companies in Illinois to buy power from out of state and the more power we import the more demand there is for that power and the more demand the higher the cost. We are destroying good paying jobs in Illinois so that our residents can purchase energy produced in coal fired plants from other states.”

The Illinois Freedom Caucus is advocating for an all-above approach. According to a Real Clear politics poll, 80% of voters, including 80% of Democrats, believe America’s energy future must include a mix of renewables and natural gas. Seventy-four percent of those surveyed said the government should prioritize reliability and affordability with a gradual shift to clean energy. Only about 22% prefer an energy policy like the Green New Deal which, like CEJA, targets 100% renewable energy.

Illinois generates only about 11% of its electricity from renewable sources. About 58 percent of the state’s power comes from nuclear generates, 18% comes from coal and 14% comes from natural gas.

“The goal of increasing renewable energy to 100 percent by 2050 is going to be extremely expensive and is not a very realistic possibility,” said State Representative Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich). To make this challenge even more difficult is the fact that Illinois has a moratorium on new nuclear power plant construction. The idea that 100 percent carbon neutral power generation can happen without more investment in nuclear power plants is absurd.”

Niemerg said one solution is support H.B. 1079 which Rep. Mark Walker has introduced to get rid of the ban on new nuclear power plant construction.

“There is bi-partisan agreement that we cannot adequately meet the power needs of a state the size of Illinois with just wind and solar,” Niemerg said. “Illinois should be investing in microreactors that are about the size of a large truck and operate safely and cleanly. We also should not be closing down Illinois coal fired plants such as the Prairie State Energy Campus that is one of the cleanest coal-fired plants in the nation. We need to pass H.B. 1079, and we need to repeal CEJA. It is time to put the needs of working families first.”

The Illinois Freedom Caucus is comprised of State Representatives Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich); Chris Miller (R-Oakland); Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville); Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City); Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur); and State Representative Jed Davis (R-Newark). The members of the Illinois Freedom Caucus are members of the Illinois General Assembly who are advocating for limited government, lower taxes and accountability and integrity in government.