My colleagues and I warned Illinois residents and businesses four years ago that Pritzker’s radical green energy scam would be devastating to our state. Fast forward and we are seeing in real time the cost of energy skyrocket and become less reliable. The bigger problem we face is that Democrats continue to spend more money on energy projects that prove to be unworkable. But, Pritzker will spend your tax money recklessly so he can to try to prove that wind and solar backed by expensive batteries and nuclear is all that we need in Illinois for electrification of all facets of life.
The business community is now speaking up after listening to Pritzker’s lies and watching an energy crisis unfold in Illinois.
“A government-mandated full electrification policy would be a disaster for working families. It would wipe out thousands of good-paying union jobs, destabilize an already overburdened electric grid, and send energy bills through the roof—projected to increase more than 2,000 percent for businesses and consumers,” said Jim Sweeney, President-Business Manager of the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 150. “There’s a smarter path forward. We can reduce emissions without gutting the energy systems that millions of Illinoisans rely on every day. Keeping natural gas in the mix isn’t just common sense—it’s essential to protecting union jobs, maintaining grid reliability, and keeping energy affordable for working families.”
Illinoisans are suffering from high utility bills that have been rising substantially for a few years due to ‘green’ energy policies. We have abundant coal and natural gas turbines that consistently provide over 60 percent of our electricity in the MISO area every day. We need to use energy that is reliable and affordable and truly clean. The path we are on now will lead to higher energy rates and rolling blackouts.
My colleagues and I will call, again, for comprehensive energy hearings and hope the business community joins us to shed light on a very serious issue.
Rep. Chris Miller Fights for Low Cost Energy