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Energy Chamber Policy Review Archive
Energy Council in the News:
More 'empower' to the people, Executive Director Tom Wolf's Sauk Valley Letter to the Editor-October 3, 2008
State Greenhouse Plan Misguided- September 3, 2008
Clinton Journal Op-Ed by Executive Director Tom Wolf - July 2, 2008
Chicago Tribune Letter to the Editor-June 10, 2008 |
Energy Council Policy Review
This is a golden time for energy policy debate. A new Administration is set to take office in January and President-elect Obama has intertwined changing energy policy with improving the economy. And can you believe that crude oil hit $57 a barrel after peaking near $150 a barrel only a few months ago? Add to that reality the conjecture on the future of nuclear energy, clean coal projects like FutureGen and opinions on the probability of a national carbon cap-and-trade system – and you’ve got enough column inches, TV and radio sound bites and blog entries to keep everyone’s heads spinning for months.
As you can imagine, it’s impossible to summarize this coverage. But I tried to pick out articles that surprised me a bit or summarized issues in a short, reasonable format.
So, enjoy and let’s hope that out of all these ideas, a reasonable energy policy emerges.
Tom Wolf
January Edition 2009
New Laws - Energy/Environment
HB 5930 State Green Buildings LED Lights Act – amends the Government Buildings Energy Cost Reduction Act of 1991 by allowing the use of light-emitting diode (LED) lighting in government buildings (more than 1,000 sq. ft. in size) that has not received the Energy Star label from the US EPA as long as the LED lighting meets the Department of Energy’s efficacy (lumens per watt) and Coloring Rendering Index (CRI) requirements and is verified by independent labs that the US EPA and Secretary of Energy have certified as using accepted procedures from the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America.
(P.A. 0743)
SB 0878 Renewable Energy Resources Program – allows DCEO to administer the “Renewable Energy Resources Program” to provide grants, loans and other incentives to create investment in and the development and use of solar, wind, organic waste biomass and some hydro energies. DCEO will conduct an annual study on the use and availability of renewable energy resources in Illinois and submit a report to the General Assembly. Included in the report will suggestions for legislation which will encourage further development of renewable energy resources. (P.A. 095-0913)
SB 2110 Uniform Environmental Covenant- Creates the Uniform Environmental Covenants Act, proposed by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. Creates an interest in real estate called an "environmental covenant" that assures a plan of rehabilitation for contaminated real property (brownfields) and controls the use of the property. An underlying plan between State or federal government and landowner for "remediation" of the property must be in place for an environmental covenant to be created and conveyed. The ultimate objective of this Act is to allow contaminated property to be returned to those uses consistent with prescribed clean-up, essentially making them marketable. (P.A. 095-0845)
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Videos
Energy Council Executive Director Tom Wolf interviews Minister Knight at the Chamber's annual meeting
Minister Knight discusses energy issues facing us today
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