The Center Square
Energy price increases are expected for a large portion of Illinois’ population.
PJM Interconnection announced its capacity auction this week, and the price came at the cap of nearly $330 per MW-day. That’s up from the previous auction of $270 per MW-day. The grid operator said to expect a year-over-year increase of 1.5% to 5% in some customers’ bills.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker blamed PJM.
“It’s the fact that PJM isn’t bringing on the generation that it should in the territory,” Pritzker said at an unrelated news conference in Chicago. “I am deeply concerned about why that is because it seems to me it should have happened already. They are pleading to do it, but haven’t done it yet.”
Before last week’s capacity auction, PJM had said “Supply is decreasing due primarily to state and federal decarbonization policies and some economics.”
“The fact is that PJM has been processing hundreds of these projects through our study processes and will continue to do so,” PJM said in a statement to The Center Square. “These resources are welcome additions to the grid but are currently having their own challenges in constructing like supply chain, state permitting and financing.”
Pritzker also went on to blame President Donald Trump for stepping away from subsidizing such energy projects like wind and solar….read more.
State Representative Chris Miller said this:
“Electric bills in have become a mortgage payment for many families because of Pritzker! He has no one to blame but himself for signing CEJA into law. We need energy reforms now before rates increase even more under progressive Dems. The people of Illinois don’t want a AAA battery to power their home!”
Ryan Garrett, a bar a restaurant owner in Villa Grove, said his electric bill was $3,000 last month! How many burgers would he have to sell to make that payment? This is one example of how poor policies have created more financial burdens on businesses across Illinois.