Bill Text: IL SB1529 | 2019-2020 | 101st General Assembly | Chaptered

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Bill Title: Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. In provisions requiring the Illinois Power Agency to solicit 15-year contracts for delivery of renewable energy credits from new utility-scale wind projects, new utility-scale solar projects, and brownfield site photovoltaic projects to begin delivery on June 1, 2019, if available, but not later than June 1, 2021, specifies that, if the project has delays in the establishment of an operating interconnection with the applicable transmission or distribution system as a result of the actions or inactions of the transmission or distribution provider, or other causes for force majeure as outlined in the procurement contract, delivery shall begin not later than June 1, 2022.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)

Status: (Passed) 2019-07-19 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 101-0113 [SB1529 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2019-SB1529-Chaptered.html

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Public Act 101-0113
SB1529 Enrolled LRB101 08496 JRG 53573 b
AN ACT concerning State government.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Illinois Power Agency Act is amended by
changing Section 1-75 as follows:
(20 ILCS 3855/1-75)
Sec. 1-75. Planning and Procurement Bureau. The Planning
and Procurement Bureau has the following duties and
responsibilities:
(a) The Planning and Procurement Bureau shall each year,
beginning in 2008, develop procurement plans and conduct
competitive procurement processes in accordance with the
requirements of Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act
for the eligible retail customers of electric utilities that on
December 31, 2005 provided electric service to at least 100,000
customers in Illinois. Beginning with the delivery year
commencing on June 1, 2017, the Planning and Procurement Bureau
shall develop plans and processes for the procurement of zero
emission credits from zero emission facilities in accordance
with the requirements of subsection (d-5) of this Section. The
Planning and Procurement Bureau shall also develop procurement
plans and conduct competitive procurement processes in
accordance with the requirements of Section 16-111.5 of the

Public Utilities Act for the eligible retail customers of small
multi-jurisdictional electric utilities that (i) on December
31, 2005 served less than 100,000 customers in Illinois and
(ii) request a procurement plan for their Illinois
jurisdictional load. This Section shall not apply to a small
multi-jurisdictional utility until such time as a small
multi-jurisdictional utility requests the Agency to prepare a
procurement plan for their Illinois jurisdictional load. For
the purposes of this Section, the term "eligible retail
customers" has the same definition as found in Section
16-111.5(a) of the Public Utilities Act.
Beginning with the plan or plans to be implemented in the
2017 delivery year, the Agency shall no longer include the
procurement of renewable energy resources in the annual
procurement plans required by this subsection (a), except as
provided in subsection (q) of Section 16-111.5 of the Public
Utilities Act, and shall instead develop a long-term renewable
resources procurement plan in accordance with subsection (c) of
this Section and Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act.
(1) The Agency shall each year, beginning in 2008, as
needed, issue a request for qualifications for experts or
expert consulting firms to develop the procurement plans in
accordance with Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities
Act. In order to qualify an expert or expert consulting
firm must have:
(A) direct previous experience assembling

large-scale power supply plans or portfolios for
end-use customers;
(B) an advanced degree in economics, mathematics,
engineering, risk management, or a related area of
study;
(C) 10 years of experience in the electricity
sector, including managing supply risk;
(D) expertise in wholesale electricity market
rules, including those established by the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission and regional transmission
organizations;
(E) expertise in credit protocols and familiarity
with contract protocols;
(F) adequate resources to perform and fulfill the
required functions and responsibilities; and
(G) the absence of a conflict of interest and
inappropriate bias for or against potential bidders or
the affected electric utilities.
(2) The Agency shall each year, as needed, issue a
request for qualifications for a procurement administrator
to conduct the competitive procurement processes in
accordance with Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities
Act. In order to qualify an expert or expert consulting
firm must have:
(A) direct previous experience administering a
large-scale competitive procurement process;

(B) an advanced degree in economics, mathematics,
engineering, or a related area of study;
(C) 10 years of experience in the electricity
sector, including risk management experience;
(D) expertise in wholesale electricity market
rules, including those established by the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission and regional transmission
organizations;
(E) expertise in credit and contract protocols;
(F) adequate resources to perform and fulfill the
required functions and responsibilities; and
(G) the absence of a conflict of interest and
inappropriate bias for or against potential bidders or
the affected electric utilities.
(3) The Agency shall provide affected utilities and
other interested parties with the lists of qualified
experts or expert consulting firms identified through the
request for qualifications processes that are under
consideration to develop the procurement plans and to serve
as the procurement administrator. The Agency shall also
provide each qualified expert's or expert consulting
firm's response to the request for qualifications. All
information provided under this subparagraph shall also be
provided to the Commission. The Agency may provide by rule
for fees associated with supplying the information to
utilities and other interested parties. These parties

shall, within 5 business days, notify the Agency in writing
if they object to any experts or expert consulting firms on
the lists. Objections shall be based on:
(A) failure to satisfy qualification criteria;
(B) identification of a conflict of interest; or
(C) evidence of inappropriate bias for or against
potential bidders or the affected utilities.
The Agency shall remove experts or expert consulting
firms from the lists within 10 days if there is a
reasonable basis for an objection and provide the updated
lists to the affected utilities and other interested
parties. If the Agency fails to remove an expert or expert
consulting firm from a list, an objecting party may seek
review by the Commission within 5 days thereafter by filing
a petition, and the Commission shall render a ruling on the
petition within 10 days. There is no right of appeal of the
Commission's ruling.
(4) The Agency shall issue requests for proposals to
the qualified experts or expert consulting firms to develop
a procurement plan for the affected utilities and to serve
as procurement administrator.
(5) The Agency shall select an expert or expert
consulting firm to develop procurement plans based on the
proposals submitted and shall award contracts of up to 5
years to those selected.
(6) The Agency shall select an expert or expert

consulting firm, with approval of the Commission, to serve
as procurement administrator based on the proposals
submitted. If the Commission rejects, within 5 days, the
Agency's selection, the Agency shall submit another
recommendation within 3 days based on the proposals
submitted. The Agency shall award a 5-year contract to the
expert or expert consulting firm so selected with
Commission approval.
(b) The experts or expert consulting firms retained by the
Agency shall, as appropriate, prepare procurement plans, and
conduct a competitive procurement process as prescribed in
Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act, to ensure
adequate, reliable, affordable, efficient, and environmentally
sustainable electric service at the lowest total cost over
time, taking into account any benefits of price stability, for
eligible retail customers of electric utilities that on
December 31, 2005 provided electric service to at least 100,000
customers in the State of Illinois, and for eligible Illinois
retail customers of small multi-jurisdictional electric
utilities that (i) on December 31, 2005 served less than
100,000 customers in Illinois and (ii) request a procurement
plan for their Illinois jurisdictional load.
(c) Renewable portfolio standard.
(1)(A) The Agency shall develop a long-term renewable
resources procurement plan that shall include procurement
programs and competitive procurement events necessary to

meet the goals set forth in this subsection (c). The
initial long-term renewable resources procurement plan
shall be released for comment no later than 160 days after
June 1, 2017 (the effective date of Public Act 99-906). The
Agency shall review, and may revise on an expedited basis,
the long-term renewable resources procurement plan at
least every 2 years, which shall be conducted in
conjunction with the procurement plan under Section
16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act to the extent
practicable to minimize administrative expense. The
long-term renewable resources procurement plans shall be
subject to review and approval by the Commission under
Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act.
(B) Subject to subparagraph (F) of this paragraph (1),
the long-term renewable resources procurement plan shall
include the goals for procurement of renewable energy
credits to meet at least the following overall percentages:
13% by the 2017 delivery year; increasing by at least 1.5%
each delivery year thereafter to at least 25% by the 2025
delivery year; and continuing at no less than 25% for each
delivery year thereafter. In the event of a conflict
between these goals and the new wind and new photovoltaic
procurement requirements described in items (i) through
(iii) of subparagraph (C) of this paragraph (1), the
long-term plan shall prioritize compliance with the new
wind and new photovoltaic procurement requirements

described in items (i) through (iii) of subparagraph (C) of
this paragraph (1) over the annual percentage targets
described in this subparagraph (B).
For the delivery year beginning June 1, 2017, the
procurement plan shall include cost-effective renewable
energy resources equal to at least 13% of each utility's
load for eligible retail customers and 13% of the
applicable portion of each utility's load for retail
customers who are not eligible retail customers, which
applicable portion shall equal 50% of the utility's load
for retail customers who are not eligible retail customers
on February 28, 2017.
For the delivery year beginning June 1, 2018, the
procurement plan shall include cost-effective renewable
energy resources equal to at least 14.5% of each utility's
load for eligible retail customers and 14.5% of the
applicable portion of each utility's load for retail
customers who are not eligible retail customers, which
applicable portion shall equal 75% of the utility's load
for retail customers who are not eligible retail customers
on February 28, 2017.
For the delivery year beginning June 1, 2019, and for
each year thereafter, the procurement plans shall include
cost-effective renewable energy resources equal to a
minimum percentage of each utility's load for all retail
customers as follows: 16% by June 1, 2019; increasing by

1.5% each year thereafter to 25% by June 1, 2025; and 25%
by June 1, 2026 and each year thereafter.
For each delivery year, the Agency shall first
recognize each utility's obligations for that delivery
year under existing contracts. Any renewable energy
credits under existing contracts, including renewable
energy credits as part of renewable energy resources, shall
be used to meet the goals set forth in this subsection (c)
for the delivery year.
(C) Of the renewable energy credits procured under this
subsection (c), at least 75% shall come from wind and
photovoltaic projects. The long-term renewable resources
procurement plan described in subparagraph (A) of this
paragraph (1) shall include the procurement of renewable
energy credits in amounts equal to at least the following:
(i) By the end of the 2020 delivery year:
At least 2,000,000 renewable energy credits
for each delivery year shall come from new wind
projects; and
At least 2,000,000 renewable energy credits
for each delivery year shall come from new
photovoltaic projects; of that amount, to the
extent possible, the Agency shall procure: at
least 50% from solar photovoltaic projects using
the program outlined in subparagraph (K) of this
paragraph (1) from distributed renewable energy

generation devices or community renewable
generation projects; at least 40% from
utility-scale solar projects; at least 2% from
brownfield site photovoltaic projects that are not
community renewable generation projects; and the
remainder shall be determined through the
long-term planning process described in
subparagraph (A) of this paragraph (1).
(ii) By the end of the 2025 delivery year:
At least 3,000,000 renewable energy credits
for each delivery year shall come from new wind
projects; and
At least 3,000,000 renewable energy credits
for each delivery year shall come from new
photovoltaic projects; of that amount, to the
extent possible, the Agency shall procure: at
least 50% from solar photovoltaic projects using
the program outlined in subparagraph (K) of this
paragraph (1) from distributed renewable energy
devices or community renewable generation
projects; at least 40% from utility-scale solar
projects; at least 2% from brownfield site
photovoltaic projects that are not community
renewable generation projects; and the remainder
shall be determined through the long-term planning
process described in subparagraph (A) of this

paragraph (1).
(iii) By the end of the 2030 delivery year:
At least 4,000,000 renewable energy credits
for each delivery year shall come from new wind
projects; and
At least 4,000,000 renewable energy credits
for each delivery year shall come from new
photovoltaic projects; of that amount, to the
extent possible, the Agency shall procure: at
least 50% from solar photovoltaic projects using
the program outlined in subparagraph (K) of this
paragraph (1) from distributed renewable energy
devices or community renewable generation
projects; at least 40% from utility-scale solar
projects; at least 2% from brownfield site
photovoltaic projects that are not community
renewable generation projects; and the remainder
shall be determined through the long-term planning
process described in subparagraph (A) of this
paragraph (1).
For purposes of this Section:
"New wind projects" means wind renewable
energy facilities that are energized after June 1,
2017 for the delivery year commencing June 1, 2017
or within 3 years after the date the Commission
approves contracts for subsequent delivery years.

"New photovoltaic projects" means photovoltaic
renewable energy facilities that are energized
after June 1, 2017. Photovoltaic projects
developed under Section 1-56 of this Act shall not
apply towards the new photovoltaic project
requirements in this subparagraph (C).
(D) Renewable energy credits shall be cost effective.
For purposes of this subsection (c), "cost effective" means
that the costs of procuring renewable energy resources do
not cause the limit stated in subparagraph (E) of this
paragraph (1) to be exceeded and, for renewable energy
credits procured through a competitive procurement event,
do not exceed benchmarks based on market prices for like
products in the region. For purposes of this subsection
(c), "like products" means contracts for renewable energy
credits from the same or substantially similar technology,
same or substantially similar vintage (new or existing),
the same or substantially similar quantity, and the same or
substantially similar contract length and structure.
Benchmarks shall be developed by the procurement
administrator, in consultation with the Commission staff,
Agency staff, and the procurement monitor and shall be
subject to Commission review and approval. If price
benchmarks for like products in the region are not
available, the procurement administrator shall establish
price benchmarks based on publicly available data on

regional technology costs and expected current and future
regional energy prices. The benchmarks in this Section
shall not be used to curtail or otherwise reduce
contractual obligations entered into by or through the
Agency prior to June 1, 2017 (the effective date of Public
Act 99-906).
(E) For purposes of this subsection (c), the required
procurement of cost-effective renewable energy resources
for a particular year commencing prior to June 1, 2017
shall be measured as a percentage of the actual amount of
electricity (megawatt-hours) supplied by the electric
utility to eligible retail customers in the delivery year
ending immediately prior to the procurement, and, for
delivery years commencing on and after June 1, 2017, the
required procurement of cost-effective renewable energy
resources for a particular year shall be measured as a
percentage of the actual amount of electricity
(megawatt-hours) delivered by the electric utility in the
delivery year ending immediately prior to the procurement,
to all retail customers in its service territory. For
purposes of this subsection (c), the amount paid per
kilowatthour means the total amount paid for electric
service expressed on a per kilowatthour basis. For purposes
of this subsection (c), the total amount paid for electric
service includes without limitation amounts paid for
supply, transmission, distribution, surcharges, and add-on

taxes.
Notwithstanding the requirements of this subsection
(c), the total of renewable energy resources procured under
the procurement plan for any single year shall be subject
to the limitations of this subparagraph (E). Such
procurement shall be reduced for all retail customers based
on the amount necessary to limit the annual estimated
average net increase due to the costs of these resources
included in the amounts paid by eligible retail customers
in connection with electric service to no more than the
greater of 2.015% of the amount paid per kilowatthour by
those customers during the year ending May 31, 2007 or the
incremental amount per kilowatthour paid for these
resources in 2011. To arrive at a maximum dollar amount of
renewable energy resources to be procured for the
particular delivery year, the resulting per kilowatthour
amount shall be applied to the actual amount of
kilowatthours of electricity delivered, or applicable
portion of such amount as specified in paragraph (1) of
this subsection (c), as applicable, by the electric utility
in the delivery year immediately prior to the procurement
to all retail customers in its service territory. The
calculations required by this subparagraph (E) shall be
made only once for each delivery year at the time that the
renewable energy resources are procured. Once the
determination as to the amount of renewable energy

resources to procure is made based on the calculations set
forth in this subparagraph (E) and the contracts procuring
those amounts are executed, no subsequent rate impact
determinations shall be made and no adjustments to those
contract amounts shall be allowed. All costs incurred under
such contracts shall be fully recoverable by the electric
utility as provided in this Section.
(F) If the limitation on the amount of renewable energy
resources procured in subparagraph (E) of this paragraph
(1) prevents the Agency from meeting all of the goals in
this subsection (c), the Agency's long-term plan shall
prioritize compliance with the requirements of this
subsection (c) regarding renewable energy credits in the
following order:
(i) renewable energy credits under existing
contractual obligations;
(i-5) funding for the Illinois Solar for All
Program, as described in subparagraph (O) of this
paragraph (1);
(ii) renewable energy credits necessary to comply
with the new wind and new photovoltaic procurement
requirements described in items (i) through (iii) of
subparagraph (C) of this paragraph (1); and
(iii) renewable energy credits necessary to meet
the remaining requirements of this subsection (c).
(G) The following provisions shall apply to the

Agency's procurement of renewable energy credits under
this subsection (c):
(i) Notwithstanding whether a long-term renewable
resources procurement plan has been approved, the
Agency shall conduct an initial forward procurement
for renewable energy credits from new utility-scale
wind projects within 160 days after June 1, 2017 (the
effective date of Public Act 99-906). For the purposes
of this initial forward procurement, the Agency shall
solicit 15-year contracts for delivery of 1,000,000
renewable energy credits delivered annually from new
utility-scale wind projects to begin delivery on June
1, 2019, if available, but not later than June 1, 2021,
unless the project has delays in the establishment of
an operating interconnection with the applicable
transmission or distribution system as a result of the
actions or inactions of the transmission or
distribution provider, or other causes for force
majeure as outlined in the procurement contract, in
which case, not later than June 1, 2022. Payments to
suppliers of renewable energy credits shall commence
upon delivery. Renewable energy credits procured under
this initial procurement shall be included in the
Agency's long-term plan and shall apply to all
renewable energy goals in this subsection (c).
(ii) Notwithstanding whether a long-term renewable

resources procurement plan has been approved, the
Agency shall conduct an initial forward procurement
for renewable energy credits from new utility-scale
solar projects and brownfield site photovoltaic
projects within one year after June 1, 2017 (the
effective date of Public Act 99-906). For the purposes
of this initial forward procurement, the Agency shall
solicit 15-year contracts for delivery of 1,000,000
renewable energy credits delivered annually from new
utility-scale solar projects and brownfield site
photovoltaic projects to begin delivery on June 1,
2019, if available, but not later than June 1, 2021,
unless the project has delays in the establishment of
an operating interconnection with the applicable
transmission or distribution system as a result of the
actions or inactions of the transmission or
distribution provider, or other causes for force
majeure as outlined in the procurement contract, in
which case, not later than June 1, 2022. The Agency may
structure this initial procurement in one or more
discrete procurement events. Payments to suppliers of
renewable energy credits shall commence upon delivery.
Renewable energy credits procured under this initial
procurement shall be included in the Agency's
long-term plan and shall apply to all renewable energy
goals in this subsection (c).

(iii) Subsequent forward procurements for
utility-scale wind projects shall solicit at least
1,000,000 renewable energy credits delivered annually
per procurement event and shall be planned, scheduled,
and designed such that the cumulative amount of
renewable energy credits delivered from all new wind
projects in each delivery year shall not exceed the
Agency's projection of the cumulative amount of
renewable energy credits that will be delivered from
all new photovoltaic projects, including utility-scale
and distributed photovoltaic devices, in the same
delivery year at the time scheduled for wind contract
delivery.
(iv) If, at any time after the time set for
delivery of renewable energy credits pursuant to the
initial procurements in items (i) and (ii) of this
subparagraph (G), the cumulative amount of renewable
energy credits projected to be delivered from all new
wind projects in a given delivery year exceeds the
cumulative amount of renewable energy credits
projected to be delivered from all new photovoltaic
projects in that delivery year by 200,000 or more
renewable energy credits, then the Agency shall within
60 days adjust the procurement programs in the
long-term renewable resources procurement plan to
ensure that the projected cumulative amount of

renewable energy credits to be delivered from all new
wind projects does not exceed the projected cumulative
amount of renewable energy credits to be delivered from
all new photovoltaic projects by 200,000 or more
renewable energy credits, provided that nothing in
this Section shall preclude the projected cumulative
amount of renewable energy credits to be delivered from
all new photovoltaic projects from exceeding the
projected cumulative amount of renewable energy
credits to be delivered from all new wind projects in
each delivery year and provided further that nothing in
this item (iv) shall require the curtailment of an
executed contract. The Agency shall update, on a
quarterly basis, its projection of the renewable
energy credits to be delivered from all projects in
each delivery year. Notwithstanding anything to the
contrary, the Agency may adjust the timing of
procurement events conducted under this subparagraph
(G). The long-term renewable resources procurement
plan shall set forth the process by which the
adjustments may be made.
(v) All procurements under this subparagraph (G)
shall comply with the geographic requirements in
subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (1) and shall follow
the procurement processes and procedures described in
this Section and Section 16-111.5 of the Public

Utilities Act to the extent practicable, and these
processes and procedures may be expedited to
accommodate the schedule established by this
subparagraph (G).
(H) The procurement of renewable energy resources for a
given delivery year shall be reduced as described in this
subparagraph (H) if an alternative retail electric
supplier meets the requirements described in this
subparagraph (H).
(i) Within 45 days after June 1, 2017 (the
effective date of Public Act 99-906), an alternative
retail electric supplier or its successor shall submit
an informational filing to the Illinois Commerce
Commission certifying that, as of December 31, 2015,
the alternative retail electric supplier owned one or
more electric generating facilities that generates
renewable energy resources as defined in Section 1-10
of this Act, provided that such facilities are not
powered by wind or photovoltaics, and the facilities
generate one renewable energy credit for each
megawatthour of energy produced from the facility.
The informational filing shall identify each
facility that was eligible to satisfy the alternative
retail electric supplier's obligations under Section
16-115D of the Public Utilities Act as described in
this item (i).

(ii) For a given delivery year, the alternative
retail electric supplier may elect to supply its retail
customers with renewable energy credits from the
facility or facilities described in item (i) of this
subparagraph (H) that continue to be owned by the
alternative retail electric supplier.
(iii) The alternative retail electric supplier
shall notify the Agency and the applicable utility, no
later than February 28 of the year preceding the
applicable delivery year or 15 days after June 1, 2017
(the effective date of Public Act 99-906), whichever is
later, of its election under item (ii) of this
subparagraph (H) to supply renewable energy credits to
retail customers of the utility. Such election shall
identify the amount of renewable energy credits to be
supplied by the alternative retail electric supplier
to the utility's retail customers and the source of the
renewable energy credits identified in the
informational filing as described in item (i) of this
subparagraph (H), subject to the following
limitations:
For the delivery year beginning June 1, 2018,
the maximum amount of renewable energy credits to
be supplied by an alternative retail electric
supplier under this subparagraph (H) shall be 68%
multiplied by 25% multiplied by 14.5% multiplied

by the amount of metered electricity
(megawatt-hours) delivered by the alternative
retail electric supplier to Illinois retail
customers during the delivery year ending May 31,
2016.
For delivery years beginning June 1, 2019 and
each year thereafter, the maximum amount of
renewable energy credits to be supplied by an
alternative retail electric supplier under this
subparagraph (H) shall be 68% multiplied by 50%
multiplied by 16% multiplied by the amount of
metered electricity (megawatt-hours) delivered by
the alternative retail electric supplier to
Illinois retail customers during the delivery year
ending May 31, 2016, provided that the 16% value
shall increase by 1.5% each delivery year
thereafter to 25% by the delivery year beginning
June 1, 2025, and thereafter the 25% value shall
apply to each delivery year.
For each delivery year, the total amount of
renewable energy credits supplied by all alternative
retail electric suppliers under this subparagraph (H)
shall not exceed 9% of the Illinois target renewable
energy credit quantity. The Illinois target renewable
energy credit quantity for the delivery year beginning
June 1, 2018 is 14.5% multiplied by the total amount of

metered electricity (megawatt-hours) delivered in the
delivery year immediately preceding that delivery
year, provided that the 14.5% shall increase by 1.5%
each delivery year thereafter to 25% by the delivery
year beginning June 1, 2025, and thereafter the 25%
value shall apply to each delivery year.
If the requirements set forth in items (i) through
(iii) of this subparagraph (H) are met, the charges
that would otherwise be applicable to the retail
customers of the alternative retail electric supplier
under paragraph (6) of this subsection (c) for the
applicable delivery year shall be reduced by the ratio
of the quantity of renewable energy credits supplied by
the alternative retail electric supplier compared to
that supplier's target renewable energy credit
quantity. The supplier's target renewable energy
credit quantity for the delivery year beginning June 1,
2018 is 14.5% multiplied by the total amount of metered
electricity (megawatt-hours) delivered by the
alternative retail supplier in that delivery year,
provided that the 14.5% shall increase by 1.5% each
delivery year thereafter to 25% by the delivery year
beginning June 1, 2025, and thereafter the 25% value
shall apply to each delivery year.
On or before April 1 of each year, the Agency shall
annually publish a report on its website that

identifies the aggregate amount of renewable energy
credits supplied by alternative retail electric
suppliers under this subparagraph (H).
(I) The Agency shall design its long-term renewable
energy procurement plan to maximize the State's interest in
the health, safety, and welfare of its residents, including
but not limited to minimizing sulfur dioxide, nitrogen
oxide, particulate matter and other pollution that
adversely affects public health in this State, increasing
fuel and resource diversity in this State, enhancing the
reliability and resiliency of the electricity distribution
system in this State, meeting goals to limit carbon dioxide
emissions under federal or State law, and contributing to a
cleaner and healthier environment for the citizens of this
State. In order to further these legislative purposes,
renewable energy credits shall be eligible to be counted
toward the renewable energy requirements of this
subsection (c) if they are generated from facilities
located in this State. The Agency may qualify renewable
energy credits from facilities located in states adjacent
to Illinois if the generator demonstrates and the Agency
determines that the operation of such facility or
facilities will help promote the State's interest in the
health, safety, and welfare of its residents based on the
public interest criteria described above. To ensure that
the public interest criteria are applied to the procurement

and given full effect, the Agency's long-term procurement
plan shall describe in detail how each public interest
factor shall be considered and weighted for facilities
located in states adjacent to Illinois.
(J) In order to promote the competitive development of
renewable energy resources in furtherance of the State's
interest in the health, safety, and welfare of its
residents, renewable energy credits shall not be eligible
to be counted toward the renewable energy requirements of
this subsection (c) if they are sourced from a generating
unit whose costs were being recovered through rates
regulated by this State or any other state or states on or
after January 1, 2017. Each contract executed to purchase
renewable energy credits under this subsection (c) shall
provide for the contract's termination if the costs of the
generating unit supplying the renewable energy credits
subsequently begin to be recovered through rates regulated
by this State or any other state or states; and each
contract shall further provide that, in that event, the
supplier of the credits must return 110% of all payments
received under the contract. Amounts returned under the
requirements of this subparagraph (J) shall be retained by
the utility and all of these amounts shall be used for the
procurement of additional renewable energy credits from
new wind or new photovoltaic resources as defined in this
subsection (c). The long-term plan shall provide that these

renewable energy credits shall be procured in the next
procurement event.
Notwithstanding the limitations of this subparagraph
(J), renewable energy credits sourced from generating
units that are constructed, purchased, owned, or leased by
an electric utility as part of an approved project,
program, or pilot under Section 1-56 of this Act shall be
eligible to be counted toward the renewable energy
requirements of this subsection (c), regardless of how the
costs of these units are recovered.
(K) The long-term renewable resources procurement plan
developed by the Agency in accordance with subparagraph (A)
of this paragraph (1) shall include an Adjustable Block
program for the procurement of renewable energy credits
from new photovoltaic projects that are distributed
renewable energy generation devices or new photovoltaic
community renewable generation projects. The Adjustable
Block program shall be designed to provide a transparent
schedule of prices and quantities to enable the
photovoltaic market to scale up and for renewable energy
credit prices to adjust at a predictable rate over time.
The prices set by the Adjustable Block program can be
reflected as a set value or as the product of a formula.
The Adjustable Block program shall include for each
category of eligible projects: a schedule of standard block
purchase prices to be offered; a series of steps, with

associated nameplate capacity and purchase prices that
adjust from step to step; and automatic opening of the next
step as soon as the nameplate capacity and available
purchase prices for an open step are fully committed or
reserved. Only projects energized on or after June 1, 2017
shall be eligible for the Adjustable Block program. For
each block group the Agency shall determine the number of
blocks, the amount of generation capacity in each block,
and the purchase price for each block, provided that the
purchase price provided and the total amount of generation
in all blocks for all block groups shall be sufficient to
meet the goals in this subsection (c). The Agency may
periodically review its prior decisions establishing the
number of blocks, the amount of generation capacity in each
block, and the purchase price for each block, and may
propose, on an expedited basis, changes to these previously
set values, including but not limited to redistributing
these amounts and the available funds as necessary and
appropriate, subject to Commission approval as part of the
periodic plan revision process described in Section
16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act. The Agency may define
different block sizes, purchase prices, or other distinct
terms and conditions for projects located in different
utility service territories if the Agency deems it
necessary to meet the goals in this subsection (c).
The Adjustable Block program shall include at least the

following block groups in at least the following amounts,
which may be adjusted upon review by the Agency and
approval by the Commission as described in this
subparagraph (K):
(i) At least 25% from distributed renewable energy
generation devices with a nameplate capacity of no more
than 10 kilowatts.
(ii) At least 25% from distributed renewable
energy generation devices with a nameplate capacity of
more than 10 kilowatts and no more than 2,000
kilowatts. The Agency may create sub-categories within
this category to account for the differences between
projects for small commercial customers, large
commercial customers, and public or non-profit
customers.
(iii) At least 25% from photovoltaic community
renewable generation projects.
(iv) The remaining 25% shall be allocated as
specified by the Agency in the long-term renewable
resources procurement plan.
The Adjustable Block program shall be designed to
ensure that renewable energy credits are procured from
photovoltaic distributed renewable energy generation
devices and new photovoltaic community renewable energy
generation projects in diverse locations and are not
concentrated in a few geographic areas.

(L) The procurement of photovoltaic renewable energy
credits under items (i) through (iv) of subparagraph (K) of
this paragraph (1) shall be subject to the following
contract and payment terms:
(i) The Agency shall procure contracts of at least
15 years in length.
(ii) For those renewable energy credits that
qualify and are procured under item (i) of subparagraph
(K) of this paragraph (1), the renewable energy credit
purchase price shall be paid in full by the contracting
utilities at the time that the facility producing the
renewable energy credits is interconnected at the
distribution system level of the utility and
energized. The electric utility shall receive and
retire all renewable energy credits generated by the
project for the first 15 years of operation.
(iii) For those renewable energy credits that
qualify and are procured under item (ii) and (iii) of
subparagraph (K) of this paragraph (1) and any
additional categories of distributed generation
included in the long-term renewable resources
procurement plan and approved by the Commission, 20
percent of the renewable energy credit purchase price
shall be paid by the contracting utilities at the time
that the facility producing the renewable energy
credits is interconnected at the distribution system

level of the utility and energized. The remaining
portion shall be paid ratably over the subsequent
4-year period. The electric utility shall receive and
retire all renewable energy credits generated by the
project for the first 15 years of operation.
(iv) Each contract shall include provisions to
ensure the delivery of the renewable energy credits for
the full term of the contract.
(v) The utility shall be the counterparty to the
contracts executed under this subparagraph (L) that
are approved by the Commission under the process
described in Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities
Act. No contract shall be executed for an amount that
is less than one renewable energy credit per year.
(vi) If, at any time, approved applications for the
Adjustable Block program exceed funds collected by the
electric utility or would cause the Agency to exceed
the limitation described in subparagraph (E) of this
paragraph (1) on the amount of renewable energy
resources that may be procured, then the Agency shall
consider future uncommitted funds to be reserved for
these contracts on a first-come, first-served basis,
with the delivery of renewable energy credits required
beginning at the time that the reserved funds become
available.
(vii) Nothing in this Section shall require the

utility to advance any payment or pay any amounts that
exceed the actual amount of revenues collected by the
utility under paragraph (6) of this subsection (c) and
subsection (k) of Section 16-108 of the Public
Utilities Act, and contracts executed under this
Section shall expressly incorporate this limitation.
(M) The Agency shall be authorized to retain one or
more experts or expert consulting firms to develop,
administer, implement, operate, and evaluate the
Adjustable Block program described in subparagraph (K) of
this paragraph (1), and the Agency shall retain the
consultant or consultants in the same manner, to the extent
practicable, as the Agency retains others to administer
provisions of this Act, including, but not limited to, the
procurement administrator. The selection of experts and
expert consulting firms and the procurement process
described in this subparagraph (M) are exempt from the
requirements of Section 20-10 of the Illinois Procurement
Code, under Section 20-10 of that Code. The Agency shall
strive to minimize administrative expenses in the
implementation of the Adjustable Block program.
The Agency and its consultant or consultants shall
monitor block activity, share program activity with
stakeholders and conduct regularly scheduled meetings to
discuss program activity and market conditions. If
necessary, the Agency may make prospective administrative

adjustments to the Adjustable Block program design, such as
redistributing available funds or making adjustments to
purchase prices as necessary to achieve the goals of this
subsection (c). Program modifications to any price,
capacity block, or other program element that do not
deviate from the Commission's approved value by more than
25% shall take effect immediately and are not subject to
Commission review and approval. Program modifications to
any price, capacity block, or other program element that
deviate more than 25% from the Commission's approved value
must be approved by the Commission as a long-term plan
amendment under Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities
Act. The Agency shall consider stakeholder feedback when
making adjustments to the Adjustable Block design and shall
notify stakeholders in advance of any planned changes.
(N) The long-term renewable resources procurement plan
required by this subsection (c) shall include a community
renewable generation program. The Agency shall establish
the terms, conditions, and program requirements for
community renewable generation projects with a goal to
expand renewable energy generating facility access to a
broader group of energy consumers, to ensure robust
participation opportunities for residential and small
commercial customers and those who cannot install
renewable energy on their own properties. Any plan approved
by the Commission shall allow subscriptions to community

renewable generation projects to be portable and
transferable. For purposes of this subparagraph (N),
"portable" means that subscriptions may be retained by the
subscriber even if the subscriber relocates or changes its
address within the same utility service territory; and
"transferable" means that a subscriber may assign or sell
subscriptions to another person within the same utility
service territory.
Electric utilities shall provide a monetary credit to a
subscriber's subsequent bill for service for the
proportional output of a community renewable generation
project attributable to that subscriber as specified in
Section 16-107.5 of the Public Utilities Act.
The Agency shall purchase renewable energy credits
from subscribed shares of photovoltaic community renewable
generation projects through the Adjustable Block program
described in subparagraph (K) of this paragraph (1) or
through the Illinois Solar for All Program described in
Section 1-56 of this Act. The electric utility shall
purchase any unsubscribed energy from community renewable
generation projects that are Qualifying Facilities ("QF")
under the electric utility's tariff for purchasing the
output from QFs under Public Utilities Regulatory Policies
Act of 1978.
The owners of and any subscribers to a community
renewable generation project shall not be considered

public utilities or alternative retail electricity
suppliers under the Public Utilities Act solely as a result
of their interest in or subscription to a community
renewable generation project and shall not be required to
become an alternative retail electric supplier by
participating in a community renewable generation project
with a public utility.
(O) For the delivery year beginning June 1, 2018, the
long-term renewable resources procurement plan required by
this subsection (c) shall provide for the Agency to procure
contracts to continue offering the Illinois Solar for All
Program described in subsection (b) of Section 1-56 of this
Act, and the contracts approved by the Commission shall be
executed by the utilities that are subject to this
subsection (c). The long-term renewable resources
procurement plan shall allocate 5% of the funds available
under the plan for the applicable delivery year, or
$10,000,000 per delivery year, whichever is greater, to
fund the programs, and the plan shall determine the amount
of funding to be apportioned to the programs identified in
subsection (b) of Section 1-56 of this Act; provided that
for the delivery years beginning June 1, 2017, June 1,
2021, and June 1, 2025, the long-term renewable resources
procurement plan shall allocate 10% of the funds available
under the plan for the applicable delivery year, or
$20,000,000 per delivery year, whichever is greater, and

$10,000,000 of such funds in such year shall be used by an
electric utility that serves more than 3,000,000 retail
customers in the State to implement a Commission-approved
plan under Section 16-108.12 of the Public Utilities Act.
In making the determinations required under this
subparagraph (O), the Commission shall consider the
experience and performance under the programs and any
evaluation reports. The Commission shall also provide for
an independent evaluation of those programs on a periodic
basis that are funded under this subparagraph (O).
(2) (Blank).
(3) (Blank).
(4) The electric utility shall retire all renewable
energy credits used to comply with the standard.
(5) Beginning with the 2010 delivery year and ending
June 1, 2017, an electric utility subject to this
subsection (c) shall apply the lesser of the maximum
alternative compliance payment rate or the most recent
estimated alternative compliance payment rate for its
service territory for the corresponding compliance period,
established pursuant to subsection (d) of Section 16-115D
of the Public Utilities Act to its retail customers that
take service pursuant to the electric utility's hourly
pricing tariff or tariffs. The electric utility shall
retain all amounts collected as a result of the application
of the alternative compliance payment rate or rates to such

customers, and, beginning in 2011, the utility shall
include in the information provided under item (1) of
subsection (d) of Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities
Act the amounts collected under the alternative compliance
payment rate or rates for the prior year ending May 31.
Notwithstanding any limitation on the procurement of
renewable energy resources imposed by item (2) of this
subsection (c), the Agency shall increase its spending on
the purchase of renewable energy resources to be procured
by the electric utility for the next plan year by an amount
equal to the amounts collected by the utility under the
alternative compliance payment rate or rates in the prior
year ending May 31.
(6) The electric utility shall be entitled to recover
all of its costs associated with the procurement of
renewable energy credits under plans approved under this
Section and Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act.
These costs shall include associated reasonable expenses
for implementing the procurement programs, including, but
not limited to, the costs of administering and evaluating
the Adjustable Block program, through an automatic
adjustment clause tariff in accordance with subsection (k)
of Section 16-108 of the Public Utilities Act.
(7) Renewable energy credits procured from new
photovoltaic projects or new distributed renewable energy
generation devices under this Section after June 1, 2017

(the effective date of Public Act 99-906) must be procured
from devices installed by a qualified person in compliance
with the requirements of Section 16-128A of the Public
Utilities Act and any rules or regulations adopted
thereunder.
In meeting the renewable energy requirements of this
subsection (c), to the extent feasible and consistent with
State and federal law, the renewable energy credit
procurements, Adjustable Block solar program, and
community renewable generation program shall provide
employment opportunities for all segments of the
population and workforce, including minority-owned and
female-owned business enterprises, and shall not,
consistent with State and federal law, discriminate based
on race or socioeconomic status.
(d) Clean coal portfolio standard.
(1) The procurement plans shall include electricity
generated using clean coal. Each utility shall enter into
one or more sourcing agreements with the initial clean coal
facility, as provided in paragraph (3) of this subsection
(d), covering electricity generated by the initial clean
coal facility representing at least 5% of each utility's
total supply to serve the load of eligible retail customers
in 2015 and each year thereafter, as described in paragraph
(3) of this subsection (d), subject to the limits specified
in paragraph (2) of this subsection (d). It is the goal of

the State that by January 1, 2025, 25% of the electricity
used in the State shall be generated by cost-effective
clean coal facilities. For purposes of this subsection (d),
"cost-effective" means that the expenditures pursuant to
such sourcing agreements do not cause the limit stated in
paragraph (2) of this subsection (d) to be exceeded and do
not exceed cost-based benchmarks, which shall be developed
to assess all expenditures pursuant to such sourcing
agreements covering electricity generated by clean coal
facilities, other than the initial clean coal facility, by
the procurement administrator, in consultation with the
Commission staff, Agency staff, and the procurement
monitor and shall be subject to Commission review and
approval.
A utility party to a sourcing agreement shall
immediately retire any emission credits that it receives in
connection with the electricity covered by such agreement.
Utilities shall maintain adequate records documenting
the purchases under the sourcing agreement to comply with
this subsection (d) and shall file an accounting with the
load forecast that must be filed with the Agency by July 15
of each year, in accordance with subsection (d) of Section
16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act.
A utility shall be deemed to have complied with the
clean coal portfolio standard specified in this subsection
(d) if the utility enters into a sourcing agreement as

required by this subsection (d).
(2) For purposes of this subsection (d), the required
execution of sourcing agreements with the initial clean
coal facility for a particular year shall be measured as a
percentage of the actual amount of electricity
(megawatt-hours) supplied by the electric utility to
eligible retail customers in the planning year ending
immediately prior to the agreement's execution. For
purposes of this subsection (d), the amount paid per
kilowatthour means the total amount paid for electric
service expressed on a per kilowatthour basis. For purposes
of this subsection (d), the total amount paid for electric
service includes without limitation amounts paid for
supply, transmission, distribution, surcharges and add-on
taxes.
Notwithstanding the requirements of this subsection
(d), the total amount paid under sourcing agreements with
clean coal facilities pursuant to the procurement plan for
any given year shall be reduced by an amount necessary to
limit the annual estimated average net increase due to the
costs of these resources included in the amounts paid by
eligible retail customers in connection with electric
service to:
(A) in 2010, no more than 0.5% of the amount paid
per kilowatthour by those customers during the year
ending May 31, 2009;

(B) in 2011, the greater of an additional 0.5% of
the amount paid per kilowatthour by those customers
during the year ending May 31, 2010 or 1% of the amount
paid per kilowatthour by those customers during the
year ending May 31, 2009;
(C) in 2012, the greater of an additional 0.5% of
the amount paid per kilowatthour by those customers
during the year ending May 31, 2011 or 1.5% of the
amount paid per kilowatthour by those customers during
the year ending May 31, 2009;
(D) in 2013, the greater of an additional 0.5% of
the amount paid per kilowatthour by those customers
during the year ending May 31, 2012 or 2% of the amount
paid per kilowatthour by those customers during the
year ending May 31, 2009; and
(E) thereafter, the total amount paid under
sourcing agreements with clean coal facilities
pursuant to the procurement plan for any single year
shall be reduced by an amount necessary to limit the
estimated average net increase due to the cost of these
resources included in the amounts paid by eligible
retail customers in connection with electric service
to no more than the greater of (i) 2.015% of the amount
paid per kilowatthour by those customers during the
year ending May 31, 2009 or (ii) the incremental amount
per kilowatthour paid for these resources in 2013.

These requirements may be altered only as provided by
statute.
No later than June 30, 2015, the Commission shall
review the limitation on the total amount paid under
sourcing agreements, if any, with clean coal facilities
pursuant to this subsection (d) and report to the General
Assembly its findings as to whether that limitation unduly
constrains the amount of electricity generated by
cost-effective clean coal facilities that is covered by
sourcing agreements.
(3) Initial clean coal facility. In order to promote
development of clean coal facilities in Illinois, each
electric utility subject to this Section shall execute a
sourcing agreement to source electricity from a proposed
clean coal facility in Illinois (the "initial clean coal
facility") that will have a nameplate capacity of at least
500 MW when commercial operation commences, that has a
final Clean Air Act permit on June 1, 2009 (the effective
date of Public Act 95-1027), and that will meet the
definition of clean coal facility in Section 1-10 of this
Act when commercial operation commences. The sourcing
agreements with this initial clean coal facility shall be
subject to both approval of the initial clean coal facility
by the General Assembly and satisfaction of the
requirements of paragraph (4) of this subsection (d) and
shall be executed within 90 days after any such approval by

the General Assembly. The Agency and the Commission shall
have authority to inspect all books and records associated
with the initial clean coal facility during the term of
such a sourcing agreement. A utility's sourcing agreement
for electricity produced by the initial clean coal facility
shall include:
(A) a formula contractual price (the "contract
price") approved pursuant to paragraph (4) of this
subsection (d), which shall:
(i) be determined using a cost of service
methodology employing either a level or deferred
capital recovery component, based on a capital
structure consisting of 45% equity and 55% debt,
and a return on equity as may be approved by the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which in any
case may not exceed the lower of 11.5% or the rate
of return approved by the General Assembly
pursuant to paragraph (4) of this subsection (d);
and
(ii) provide that all miscellaneous net
revenue, including but not limited to net revenue
from the sale of emission allowances, if any,
substitute natural gas, if any, grants or other
support provided by the State of Illinois or the
United States Government, firm transmission
rights, if any, by-products produced by the

facility, energy or capacity derived from the
facility and not covered by a sourcing agreement
pursuant to paragraph (3) of this subsection (d) or
item (5) of subsection (d) of Section 16-115 of the
Public Utilities Act, whether generated from the
synthesis gas derived from coal, from SNG, or from
natural gas, shall be credited against the revenue
requirement for this initial clean coal facility;
(B) power purchase provisions, which shall:
(i) provide that the utility party to such
sourcing agreement shall pay the contract price
for electricity delivered under such sourcing
agreement;
(ii) require delivery of electricity to the
regional transmission organization market of the
utility that is party to such sourcing agreement;
(iii) require the utility party to such
sourcing agreement to buy from the initial clean
coal facility in each hour an amount of energy
equal to all clean coal energy made available from
the initial clean coal facility during such hour
times a fraction, the numerator of which is such
utility's retail market sales of electricity
(expressed in kilowatthours sold) in the State
during the prior calendar month and the
denominator of which is the total retail market

sales of electricity (expressed in kilowatthours
sold) in the State by utilities during such prior
month and the sales of electricity (expressed in
kilowatthours sold) in the State by alternative
retail electric suppliers during such prior month
that are subject to the requirements of this
subsection (d) and paragraph (5) of subsection (d)
of Section 16-115 of the Public Utilities Act,
provided that the amount purchased by the utility
in any year will be limited by paragraph (2) of
this subsection (d); and
(iv) be considered pre-existing contracts in
such utility's procurement plans for eligible
retail customers;
(C) contract for differences provisions, which
shall:
(i) require the utility party to such sourcing
agreement to contract with the initial clean coal
facility in each hour with respect to an amount of
energy equal to all clean coal energy made
available from the initial clean coal facility
during such hour times a fraction, the numerator of
which is such utility's retail market sales of
electricity (expressed in kilowatthours sold) in
the utility's service territory in the State
during the prior calendar month and the

denominator of which is the total retail market
sales of electricity (expressed in kilowatthours
sold) in the State by utilities during such prior
month and the sales of electricity (expressed in
kilowatthours sold) in the State by alternative
retail electric suppliers during such prior month
that are subject to the requirements of this
subsection (d) and paragraph (5) of subsection (d)
of Section 16-115 of the Public Utilities Act,
provided that the amount paid by the utility in any
year will be limited by paragraph (2) of this
subsection (d);
(ii) provide that the utility's payment
obligation in respect of the quantity of
electricity determined pursuant to the preceding
clause (i) shall be limited to an amount equal to
(1) the difference between the contract price
determined pursuant to subparagraph (A) of
paragraph (3) of this subsection (d) and the
day-ahead price for electricity delivered to the
regional transmission organization market of the
utility that is party to such sourcing agreement
(or any successor delivery point at which such
utility's supply obligations are financially
settled on an hourly basis) (the "reference
price") on the day preceding the day on which the

electricity is delivered to the initial clean coal
facility busbar, multiplied by (2) the quantity of
electricity determined pursuant to the preceding
clause (i); and
(iii) not require the utility to take physical
delivery of the electricity produced by the
facility;
(D) general provisions, which shall:
(i) specify a term of no more than 30 years,
commencing on the commercial operation date of the
facility;
(ii) provide that utilities shall maintain
adequate records documenting purchases under the
sourcing agreements entered into to comply with
this subsection (d) and shall file an accounting
with the load forecast that must be filed with the
Agency by July 15 of each year, in accordance with
subsection (d) of Section 16-111.5 of the Public
Utilities Act;
(iii) provide that all costs associated with
the initial clean coal facility will be
periodically reported to the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission and to purchasers in
accordance with applicable laws governing
cost-based wholesale power contracts;
(iv) permit the Illinois Power Agency to

assume ownership of the initial clean coal
facility, without monetary consideration and
otherwise on reasonable terms acceptable to the
Agency, if the Agency so requests no less than 3
years prior to the end of the stated contract term;
(v) require the owner of the initial clean coal
facility to provide documentation to the
Commission each year, starting in the facility's
first year of commercial operation, accurately
reporting the quantity of carbon emissions from
the facility that have been captured and
sequestered and report any quantities of carbon
released from the site or sites at which carbon
emissions were sequestered in prior years, based
on continuous monitoring of such sites. If, in any
year after the first year of commercial operation,
the owner of the facility fails to demonstrate that
the initial clean coal facility captured and
sequestered at least 50% of the total carbon
emissions that the facility would otherwise emit
or that sequestration of emissions from prior
years has failed, resulting in the release of
carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, the owner of
the facility must offset excess emissions. Any
such carbon offsets must be permanent, additional,
verifiable, real, located within the State of

Illinois, and legally and practicably enforceable.
The cost of such offsets for the facility that are
not recoverable shall not exceed $15 million in any
given year. No costs of any such purchases of
carbon offsets may be recovered from a utility or
its customers. All carbon offsets purchased for
this purpose and any carbon emission credits
associated with sequestration of carbon from the
facility must be permanently retired. The initial
clean coal facility shall not forfeit its
designation as a clean coal facility if the
facility fails to fully comply with the applicable
carbon sequestration requirements in any given
year, provided the requisite offsets are
purchased. However, the Attorney General, on
behalf of the People of the State of Illinois, may
specifically enforce the facility's sequestration
requirement and the other terms of this contract
provision. Compliance with the sequestration
requirements and offset purchase requirements
specified in paragraph (3) of this subsection (d)
shall be reviewed annually by an independent
expert retained by the owner of the initial clean
coal facility, with the advance written approval
of the Attorney General. The Commission may, in the
course of the review specified in item (vii),

reduce the allowable return on equity for the
facility if the facility willfully fails to comply
with the carbon capture and sequestration
requirements set forth in this item (v);
(vi) include limits on, and accordingly
provide for modification of, the amount the
utility is required to source under the sourcing
agreement consistent with paragraph (2) of this
subsection (d);
(vii) require Commission review: (1) to
determine the justness, reasonableness, and
prudence of the inputs to the formula referenced in
subparagraphs (A)(i) through (A)(iii) of paragraph
(3) of this subsection (d), prior to an adjustment
in those inputs including, without limitation, the
capital structure and return on equity, fuel
costs, and other operations and maintenance costs
and (2) to approve the costs to be passed through
to customers under the sourcing agreement by which
the utility satisfies its statutory obligations.
Commission review shall occur no less than every 3
years, regardless of whether any adjustments have
been proposed, and shall be completed within 9
months;
(viii) limit the utility's obligation to such
amount as the utility is allowed to recover through

tariffs filed with the Commission, provided that
neither the clean coal facility nor the utility
waives any right to assert federal pre-emption or
any other argument in response to a purported
disallowance of recovery costs;
(ix) limit the utility's or alternative retail
electric supplier's obligation to incur any
liability until such time as the facility is in
commercial operation and generating power and
energy and such power and energy is being delivered
to the facility busbar;
(x) provide that the owner or owners of the
initial clean coal facility, which is the
counterparty to such sourcing agreement, shall
have the right from time to time to elect whether
the obligations of the utility party thereto shall
be governed by the power purchase provisions or the
contract for differences provisions;
(xi) append documentation showing that the
formula rate and contract, insofar as they relate
to the power purchase provisions, have been
approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission pursuant to Section 205 of the Federal
Power Act;
(xii) provide that any changes to the terms of
the contract, insofar as such changes relate to the

power purchase provisions, are subject to review
under the public interest standard applied by the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission pursuant to
Sections 205 and 206 of the Federal Power Act; and
(xiii) conform with customary lender
requirements in power purchase agreements used as
the basis for financing non-utility generators.
(4) Effective date of sourcing agreements with the
initial clean coal facility. Any proposed sourcing
agreement with the initial clean coal facility shall not
become effective unless the following reports are prepared
and submitted and authorizations and approvals obtained:
(i) Facility cost report. The owner of the initial
clean coal facility shall submit to the Commission, the
Agency, and the General Assembly a front-end
engineering and design study, a facility cost report,
method of financing (including but not limited to
structure and associated costs), and an operating and
maintenance cost quote for the facility (collectively
"facility cost report"), which shall be prepared in
accordance with the requirements of this paragraph (4)
of subsection (d) of this Section, and shall provide
the Commission and the Agency access to the work
papers, relied upon documents, and any other backup
documentation related to the facility cost report.
(ii) Commission report. Within 6 months following

receipt of the facility cost report, the Commission, in
consultation with the Agency, shall submit a report to
the General Assembly setting forth its analysis of the
facility cost report. Such report shall include, but
not be limited to, a comparison of the costs associated
with electricity generated by the initial clean coal
facility to the costs associated with electricity
generated by other types of generation facilities, an
analysis of the rate impacts on residential and small
business customers over the life of the sourcing
agreements, and an analysis of the likelihood that the
initial clean coal facility will commence commercial
operation by and be delivering power to the facility's
busbar by 2016. To assist in the preparation of its
report, the Commission, in consultation with the
Agency, may hire one or more experts or consultants,
the costs of which shall be paid for by the owner of
the initial clean coal facility. The Commission and
Agency may begin the process of selecting such experts
or consultants prior to receipt of the facility cost
report.
(iii) General Assembly approval. The proposed
sourcing agreements shall not take effect unless,
based on the facility cost report and the Commission's
report, the General Assembly enacts authorizing
legislation approving (A) the projected price, stated

in cents per kilowatthour, to be charged for
electricity generated by the initial clean coal
facility, (B) the projected impact on residential and
small business customers' bills over the life of the
sourcing agreements, and (C) the maximum allowable
return on equity for the project; and
(iv) Commission review. If the General Assembly
enacts authorizing legislation pursuant to
subparagraph (iii) approving a sourcing agreement, the
Commission shall, within 90 days of such enactment,
complete a review of such sourcing agreement. During
such time period, the Commission shall implement any
directive of the General Assembly, resolve any
disputes between the parties to the sourcing agreement
concerning the terms of such agreement, approve the
form of such agreement, and issue an order finding that
the sourcing agreement is prudent and reasonable.
The facility cost report shall be prepared as follows:
(A) The facility cost report shall be prepared by
duly licensed engineering and construction firms
detailing the estimated capital costs payable to one or
more contractors or suppliers for the engineering,
procurement and construction of the components
comprising the initial clean coal facility and the
estimated costs of operation and maintenance of the
facility. The facility cost report shall include:

(i) an estimate of the capital cost of the core
plant based on one or more front end engineering
and design studies for the gasification island and
related facilities. The core plant shall include
all civil, structural, mechanical, electrical,
control, and safety systems.
(ii) an estimate of the capital cost of the
balance of the plant, including any capital costs
associated with sequestration of carbon dioxide
emissions and all interconnects and interfaces
required to operate the facility, such as
transmission of electricity, construction or
backfeed power supply, pipelines to transport
substitute natural gas or carbon dioxide, potable
water supply, natural gas supply, water supply,
water discharge, landfill, access roads, and coal
delivery.
The quoted construction costs shall be expressed
in nominal dollars as of the date that the quote is
prepared and shall include capitalized financing costs
during construction, taxes, insurance, and other
owner's costs, and an assumed escalation in materials
and labor beyond the date as of which the construction
cost quote is expressed.
(B) The front end engineering and design study for
the gasification island and the cost study for the

balance of plant shall include sufficient design work
to permit quantification of major categories of
materials, commodities and labor hours, and receipt of
quotes from vendors of major equipment required to
construct and operate the clean coal facility.
(C) The facility cost report shall also include an
operating and maintenance cost quote that will provide
the estimated cost of delivered fuel, personnel,
maintenance contracts, chemicals, catalysts,
consumables, spares, and other fixed and variable
operations and maintenance costs. The delivered fuel
cost estimate will be provided by a recognized third
party expert or experts in the fuel and transportation
industries. The balance of the operating and
maintenance cost quote, excluding delivered fuel
costs, will be developed based on the inputs provided
by duly licensed engineering and construction firms
performing the construction cost quote, potential
vendors under long-term service agreements and plant
operating agreements, or recognized third party plant
operator or operators.
The operating and maintenance cost quote
(including the cost of the front end engineering and
design study) shall be expressed in nominal dollars as
of the date that the quote is prepared and shall
include taxes, insurance, and other owner's costs, and

an assumed escalation in materials and labor beyond the
date as of which the operating and maintenance cost
quote is expressed.
(D) The facility cost report shall also include an
analysis of the initial clean coal facility's ability
to deliver power and energy into the applicable
regional transmission organization markets and an
analysis of the expected capacity factor for the
initial clean coal facility.
(E) Amounts paid to third parties unrelated to the
owner or owners of the initial clean coal facility to
prepare the core plant construction cost quote,
including the front end engineering and design study,
and the operating and maintenance cost quote will be
reimbursed through Coal Development Bonds.
(5) Re-powering and retrofitting coal-fired power
plants previously owned by Illinois utilities to qualify as
clean coal facilities. During the 2009 procurement
planning process and thereafter, the Agency and the
Commission shall consider sourcing agreements covering
electricity generated by power plants that were previously
owned by Illinois utilities and that have been or will be
converted into clean coal facilities, as defined by Section
1-10 of this Act. Pursuant to such procurement planning
process, the owners of such facilities may propose to the
Agency sourcing agreements with utilities and alternative

retail electric suppliers required to comply with
subsection (d) of this Section and item (5) of subsection
(d) of Section 16-115 of the Public Utilities Act, covering
electricity generated by such facilities. In the case of
sourcing agreements that are power purchase agreements,
the contract price for electricity sales shall be
established on a cost of service basis. In the case of
sourcing agreements that are contracts for differences,
the contract price from which the reference price is
subtracted shall be established on a cost of service basis.
The Agency and the Commission may approve any such utility
sourcing agreements that do not exceed cost-based
benchmarks developed by the procurement administrator, in
consultation with the Commission staff, Agency staff and
the procurement monitor, subject to Commission review and
approval. The Commission shall have authority to inspect
all books and records associated with these clean coal
facilities during the term of any such contract.
(6) Costs incurred under this subsection (d) or
pursuant to a contract entered into under this subsection
(d) shall be deemed prudently incurred and reasonable in
amount and the electric utility shall be entitled to full
cost recovery pursuant to the tariffs filed with the
Commission.
(d-5) Zero emission standard.
(1) Beginning with the delivery year commencing on June

1, 2017, the Agency shall, for electric utilities that
serve at least 100,000 retail customers in this State,
procure contracts with zero emission facilities that are
reasonably capable of generating cost-effective zero
emission credits in an amount approximately equal to 16% of
the actual amount of electricity delivered by each electric
utility to retail customers in the State during calendar
year 2014. For an electric utility serving fewer than
100,000 retail customers in this State that requested,
under Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act, that
the Agency procure power and energy for all or a portion of
the utility's Illinois load for the delivery year
commencing June 1, 2016, the Agency shall procure contracts
with zero emission facilities that are reasonably capable
of generating cost-effective zero emission credits in an
amount approximately equal to 16% of the portion of power
and energy to be procured by the Agency for the utility.
The duration of the contracts procured under this
subsection (d-5) shall be for a term of 10 years ending May
31, 2027. The quantity of zero emission credits to be
procured under the contracts shall be all of the zero
emission credits generated by the zero emission facility in
each delivery year; however, if the zero emission facility
is owned by more than one entity, then the quantity of zero
emission credits to be procured under the contracts shall
be the amount of zero emission credits that are generated

from the portion of the zero emission facility that is
owned by the winning supplier.
The 16% value identified in this paragraph (1) is the
average of the percentage targets in subparagraph (B) of
paragraph (1) of subsection (c) of this Section 1-75 of
this Act for the 5 delivery years beginning June 1, 2017.
The procurement process shall be subject to the
following provisions:
(A) Those zero emission facilities that intend to
participate in the procurement shall submit to the
Agency the following eligibility information for each
zero emission facility on or before the date
established by the Agency:
(i) the in-service date and remaining useful
life of the zero emission facility;
(ii) the amount of power generated annually
for each of the years 2005 through 2015, and the
projected zero emission credits to be generated
over the remaining useful life of the zero emission
facility, which shall be used to determine the
capability of each facility;
(iii) the annual zero emission facility cost
projections, expressed on a per megawatthour
basis, over the next 6 delivery years, which shall
include the following: operation and maintenance
expenses; fully allocated overhead costs, which

shall be allocated using the methodology developed
by the Institute for Nuclear Power Operations;
fuel expenditures; non-fuel capital expenditures;
spent fuel expenditures; a return on working
capital; the cost of operational and market risks
that could be avoided by ceasing operation; and any
other costs necessary for continued operations,
provided that "necessary" means, for purposes of
this item (iii), that the costs could reasonably be
avoided only by ceasing operations of the zero
emission facility; and
(iv) a commitment to continue operating, for
the duration of the contract or contracts executed
under the procurement held under this subsection
(d-5), the zero emission facility that produces
the zero emission credits to be procured in the
procurement.
The information described in item (iii) of this
subparagraph (A) may be submitted on a confidential
basis and shall be treated and maintained by the
Agency, the procurement administrator, and the
Commission as confidential and proprietary and exempt
from disclosure under subparagraphs (a) and (g) of
paragraph (1) of Section 7 of the Freedom of
Information Act. The Office of Attorney General shall
have access to, and maintain the confidentiality of,

such information pursuant to Section 6.5 of the
Attorney General Act.
(B) The price for each zero emission credit
procured under this subsection (d-5) for each delivery
year shall be in an amount that equals the Social Cost
of Carbon, expressed on a price per megawatthour basis.
However, to ensure that the procurement remains
affordable to retail customers in this State if
electricity prices increase, the price in an
applicable delivery year shall be reduced below the
Social Cost of Carbon by the amount ("Price
Adjustment") by which the market price index for the
applicable delivery year exceeds the baseline market
price index for the consecutive 12-month period ending
May 31, 2016. If the Price Adjustment is greater than
or equal to the Social Cost of Carbon in an applicable
delivery year, then no payments shall be due in that
delivery year. The components of this calculation are
defined as follows:
(i) Social Cost of Carbon: The Social Cost of
Carbon is $16.50 per megawatthour, which is based
on the U.S. Interagency Working Group on Social
Cost of Carbon's price in the August 2016 Technical
Update using a 3% discount rate, adjusted for
inflation for each year of the program. Beginning
with the delivery year commencing June 1, 2023, the

price per megawatthour shall increase by $1 per
megawatthour, and continue to increase by an
additional $1 per megawatthour each delivery year
thereafter.
(ii) Baseline market price index: The baseline
market price index for the consecutive 12-month
period ending May 31, 2016 is $31.40 per
megawatthour, which is based on the sum of (aa) the
average day-ahead energy price across all hours of
such 12-month period at the PJM Interconnection
LLC Northern Illinois Hub, (bb) 50% multiplied by
the Base Residual Auction, or its successor,
capacity price for the rest of the RTO zone group
determined by PJM Interconnection LLC, divided by
24 hours per day, and (cc) 50% multiplied by the
Planning Resource Auction, or its successor,
capacity price for Zone 4 determined by the
Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc.,
divided by 24 hours per day.
(iii) Market price index: The market price
index for a delivery year shall be the sum of
projected energy prices and projected capacity
prices determined as follows:
(aa) Projected energy prices: the
projected energy prices for the applicable
delivery year shall be calculated once for the

year using the forward market price for the PJM
Interconnection, LLC Northern Illinois Hub.
The forward market price shall be calculated as
follows: the energy forward prices for each
month of the applicable delivery year averaged
for each trade date during the calendar year
immediately preceding that delivery year to
produce a single energy forward price for the
delivery year. The forward market price
calculation shall use data published by the
Intercontinental Exchange, or its successor.
(bb) Projected capacity prices:
(I) For the delivery years commencing
June 1, 2017, June 1, 2018, and June 1,
2019, the projected capacity price shall
be equal to the sum of (1) 50% multiplied
by the Base Residual Auction, or its
successor, price for the rest of the RTO
zone group as determined by PJM
Interconnection LLC, divided by 24 hours
per day and, (2) 50% multiplied by the
resource auction price determined in the
resource auction administered by the
Midcontinent Independent System Operator,
Inc., in which the largest percentage of
load cleared for Local Resource Zone 4,

divided by 24 hours per day, and where such
price is determined by the Midcontinent
Independent System Operator, Inc.
(II) For the delivery year commencing
June 1, 2020, and each year thereafter, the
projected capacity price shall be equal to
the sum of (1) 50% multiplied by the Base
Residual Auction, or its successor, price
for the ComEd zone as determined by PJM
Interconnection LLC, divided by 24 hours
per day, and (2) 50% multiplied by the
resource auction price determined in the
resource auction administered by the
Midcontinent Independent System Operator,
Inc., in which the largest percentage of
load cleared for Local Resource Zone 4,
divided by 24 hours per day, and where such
price is determined by the Midcontinent
Independent System Operator, Inc.
For purposes of this subsection (d-5):
"Rest of the RTO" and "ComEd Zone" shall have
the meaning ascribed to them by PJM
Interconnection, LLC.
"RTO" means regional transmission
organization.
(C) No later than 45 days after June 1, 2017 (the

effective date of Public Act 99-906), the Agency shall
publish its proposed zero emission standard
procurement plan. The plan shall be consistent with the
provisions of this paragraph (1) and shall provide that
winning bids shall be selected based on public interest
criteria that include, but are not limited to,
minimizing carbon dioxide emissions that result from
electricity consumed in Illinois and minimizing sulfur
dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and particulate matter
emissions that adversely affect the citizens of this
State. In particular, the selection of winning bids
shall take into account the incremental environmental
benefits resulting from the procurement, such as any
existing environmental benefits that are preserved by
the procurements held under Public Act 99-906 and would
cease to exist if the procurements were not held,
including the preservation of zero emission
facilities. The plan shall also describe in detail how
each public interest factor shall be considered and
weighted in the bid selection process to ensure that
the public interest criteria are applied to the
procurement and given full effect.
For purposes of developing the plan, the Agency
shall consider any reports issued by a State agency,
board, or commission under House Resolution 1146 of the
98th General Assembly and paragraph (4) of subsection

(d) of this Section 1-75 of this Act, as well as
publicly available analyses and studies performed by
or for regional transmission organizations that serve
the State and their independent market monitors.
Upon publishing of the zero emission standard
procurement plan, copies of the plan shall be posted
and made publicly available on the Agency's website.
All interested parties shall have 10 days following the
date of posting to provide comment to the Agency on the
plan. All comments shall be posted to the Agency's
website. Following the end of the comment period, but
no more than 60 days later than June 1, 2017 (the
effective date of Public Act 99-906), the Agency shall
revise the plan as necessary based on the comments
received and file its zero emission standard
procurement plan with the Commission.
If the Commission determines that the plan will
result in the procurement of cost-effective zero
emission credits, then the Commission shall, after
notice and hearing, but no later than 45 days after the
Agency filed the plan, approve the plan or approve with
modification. For purposes of this subsection (d-5),
"cost effective" means the projected costs of
procuring zero emission credits from zero emission
facilities do not cause the limit stated in paragraph
(2) of this subsection to be exceeded.

(C-5) As part of the Commission's review and
acceptance or rejection of the procurement results,
the Commission shall, in its public notice of
successful bidders:
(i) identify how the winning bids satisfy the
public interest criteria described in subparagraph
(C) of this paragraph (1) of minimizing carbon
dioxide emissions that result from electricity
consumed in Illinois and minimizing sulfur
dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and particulate matter
emissions that adversely affect the citizens of
this State;
(ii) specifically address how the selection of
winning bids takes into account the incremental
environmental benefits resulting from the
procurement, including any existing environmental
benefits that are preserved by the procurements
held under Public Act 99-906 and would have ceased
to exist if the procurements had not been held,
such as the preservation of zero emission
facilities;
(iii) quantify the environmental benefit of
preserving the resources identified in item (ii)
of this subparagraph (C-5), including the
following:
(aa) the value of avoided greenhouse gas

emissions measured as the product of the zero
emission facilities' output over the contract
term multiplied by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency eGrid subregion carbon
dioxide emission rate and the U.S. Interagency
Working Group on Social Cost of Carbon's price
in the August 2016 Technical Update using a 3%
discount rate, adjusted for inflation for each
delivery year; and
(bb) the costs of replacement with other
zero carbon dioxide resources, including wind
and photovoltaic, based upon the simple
average of the following:
(I) the price, or if there is more than
one price, the average of the prices, paid
for renewable energy credits from new
utility-scale wind projects in the
procurement events specified in item (i)
of subparagraph (G) of paragraph (1) of
subsection (c) of this Section 1-75 of this
Act; and
(II) the price, or if there is more
than one price, the average of the prices,
paid for renewable energy credits from new
utility-scale solar projects and
brownfield site photovoltaic projects in

the procurement events specified in item
(ii) of subparagraph (G) of paragraph (1)
of subsection (c) of this Section 1-75 of
this Act and, after January 1, 2015,
renewable energy credits from photovoltaic
distributed generation projects in
procurement events held under subsection
(c) of this Section 1-75 of this Act.
Each utility shall enter into binding contractual
arrangements with the winning suppliers.
The procurement described in this subsection
(d-5), including, but not limited to, the execution of
all contracts procured, shall be completed no later
than May 10, 2017. Based on the effective date of
Public Act 99-906, the Agency and Commission may, as
appropriate, modify the various dates and timelines
under this subparagraph and subparagraphs (C) and (D)
of this paragraph (1). The procurement and plan
approval processes required by this subsection (d-5)
shall be conducted in conjunction with the procurement
and plan approval processes required by subsection (c)
of this Section and Section 16-111.5 of the Public
Utilities Act, to the extent practicable.
Notwithstanding whether a procurement event is
conducted under Section 16-111.5 of the Public
Utilities Act, the Agency shall immediately initiate a

procurement process on June 1, 2017 (the effective date
of Public Act 99-906).
(D) Following the procurement event described in
this paragraph (1) and consistent with subparagraph
(B) of this paragraph (1), the Agency shall calculate
the payments to be made under each contract for the
next delivery year based on the market price index for
that delivery year. The Agency shall publish the
payment calculations no later than May 25, 2017 and
every May 25 thereafter.
(E) Notwithstanding the requirements of this
subsection (d-5), the contracts executed under this
subsection (d-5) shall provide that the zero emission
facility may, as applicable, suspend or terminate
performance under the contracts in the following
instances:
(i) A zero emission facility shall be excused
from its performance under the contract for any
cause beyond the control of the resource,
including, but not restricted to, acts of God,
flood, drought, earthquake, storm, fire,
lightning, epidemic, war, riot, civil disturbance
or disobedience, labor dispute, labor or material
shortage, sabotage, acts of public enemy,
explosions, orders, regulations or restrictions
imposed by governmental, military, or lawfully

established civilian authorities, which, in any of
the foregoing cases, by exercise of commercially
reasonable efforts the zero emission facility
could not reasonably have been expected to avoid,
and which, by the exercise of commercially
reasonable efforts, it has been unable to
overcome. In such event, the zero emission
facility shall be excused from performance for the
duration of the event, including, but not limited
to, delivery of zero emission credits, and no
payment shall be due to the zero emission facility
during the duration of the event.
(ii) A zero emission facility shall be
permitted to terminate the contract if legislation
is enacted into law by the General Assembly that
imposes or authorizes a new tax, special
assessment, or fee on the generation of
electricity, the ownership or leasehold of a
generating unit, or the privilege or occupation of
such generation, ownership, or leasehold of
generation units by a zero emission facility.
However, the provisions of this item (ii) do not
apply to any generally applicable tax, special
assessment or fee, or requirements imposed by
federal law.
(iii) A zero emission facility shall be

permitted to terminate the contract in the event
that the resource requires capital expenditures in
excess of $40,000,000 that were neither known nor
reasonably foreseeable at the time it executed the
contract and that a prudent owner or operator of
such resource would not undertake.
(iv) A zero emission facility shall be
permitted to terminate the contract in the event
the Nuclear Regulatory Commission terminates the
resource's license.
(F) If the zero emission facility elects to
terminate a contract under this subparagraph (E) , of
this paragraph (1), then the Commission shall reopen
the docket in which the Commission approved the zero
emission standard procurement plan under subparagraph
(C) of this paragraph (1) and, after notice and
hearing, enter an order acknowledging the contract
termination election if such termination is consistent
with the provisions of this subsection (d-5).
(2) For purposes of this subsection (d-5), the amount
paid per kilowatthour means the total amount paid for
electric service expressed on a per kilowatthour basis. For
purposes of this subsection (d-5), the total amount paid
for electric service includes, without limitation, amounts
paid for supply, transmission, distribution, surcharges,
and add-on taxes.

Notwithstanding the requirements of this subsection
(d-5), the contracts executed under this subsection (d-5)
shall provide that the total of zero emission credits
procured under a procurement plan shall be subject to the
limitations of this paragraph (2). For each delivery year,
the contractual volume receiving payments in such year
shall be reduced for all retail customers based on the
amount necessary to limit the net increase that delivery
year to the costs of those credits included in the amounts
paid by eligible retail customers in connection with
electric service to no more than 1.65% of the amount paid
per kilowatthour by eligible retail customers during the
year ending May 31, 2009. The result of this computation
shall apply to and reduce the procurement for all retail
customers, and all those customers shall pay the same
single, uniform cents per kilowatthour charge under
subsection (k) of Section 16-108 of the Public Utilities
Act. To arrive at a maximum dollar amount of zero emission
credits to be paid for the particular delivery year, the
resulting per kilowatthour amount shall be applied to the
actual amount of kilowatthours of electricity delivered by
the electric utility in the delivery year immediately prior
to the procurement, to all retail customers in its service
territory. Unpaid contractual volume for any delivery year
shall be paid in any subsequent delivery year in which such
payments can be made without exceeding the amount specified

in this paragraph (2). The calculations required by this
paragraph (2) shall be made only once for each procurement
plan year. Once the determination as to the amount of zero
emission credits to be paid is made based on the
calculations set forth in this paragraph (2), no subsequent
rate impact determinations shall be made and no adjustments
to those contract amounts shall be allowed. All costs
incurred under those contracts and in implementing this
subsection (d-5) shall be recovered by the electric utility
as provided in this Section.
No later than June 30, 2019, the Commission shall
review the limitation on the amount of zero emission
credits procured under this subsection (d-5) and report to
the General Assembly its findings as to whether that
limitation unduly constrains the procurement of
cost-effective zero emission credits.
(3) Six years after the execution of a contract under
this subsection (d-5), the Agency shall determine whether
the actual zero emission credit payments received by the
supplier over the 6-year period exceed the Average ZEC
Payment. In addition, at the end of the term of a contract
executed under this subsection (d-5), or at the time, if
any, a zero emission facility's contract is terminated
under subparagraph (E) of paragraph (1) of this subsection
(d-5), then the Agency shall determine whether the actual
zero emission credit payments received by the supplier over

the term of the contract exceed the Average ZEC Payment,
after taking into account any amounts previously credited
back to the utility under this paragraph (3). If the Agency
determines that the actual zero emission credit payments
received by the supplier over the relevant period exceed
the Average ZEC Payment, then the supplier shall credit the
difference back to the utility. The amount of the credit
shall be remitted to the applicable electric utility no
later than 120 days after the Agency's determination, which
the utility shall reflect as a credit on its retail
customer bills as soon as practicable; however, the credit
remitted to the utility shall not exceed the total amount
of payments received by the facility under its contract.
For purposes of this Section, the Average ZEC Payment
shall be calculated by multiplying the quantity of zero
emission credits delivered under the contract times the
average contract price. The average contract price shall be
determined by subtracting the amount calculated under
subparagraph (B) of this paragraph (3) from the amount
calculated under subparagraph (A) of this paragraph (3), as
follows:
(A) The average of the Social Cost of Carbon, as
defined in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) of this
subsection (d-5), during the term of the contract.
(B) The average of the market price indices, as
defined in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) of this

subsection (d-5), during the term of the contract,
minus the baseline market price index, as defined in
subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) of this subsection
(d-5).
If the subtraction yields a negative number, then the
Average ZEC Payment shall be zero.
(4) Cost-effective zero emission credits procured from
zero emission facilities shall satisfy the applicable
definitions set forth in Section 1-10 of this Act.
(5) The electric utility shall retire all zero emission
credits used to comply with the requirements of this
subsection (d-5).
(6) Electric utilities shall be entitled to recover all
of the costs associated with the procurement of zero
emission credits through an automatic adjustment clause
tariff in accordance with subsection (k) and (m) of Section
16-108 of the Public Utilities Act, and the contracts
executed under this subsection (d-5) shall provide that the
utilities' payment obligations under such contracts shall
be reduced if an adjustment is required under subsection
(m) of Section 16-108 of the Public Utilities Act.
(7) This subsection (d-5) shall become inoperative on
January 1, 2028.
(e) The draft procurement plans are subject to public
comment, as required by Section 16-111.5 of the Public
Utilities Act.

(f) The Agency shall submit the final procurement plan to
the Commission. The Agency shall revise a procurement plan if
the Commission determines that it does not meet the standards
set forth in Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act.
(g) The Agency shall assess fees to each affected utility
to recover the costs incurred in preparation of the annual
procurement plan for the utility.
(h) The Agency shall assess fees to each bidder to recover
the costs incurred in connection with a competitive procurement
process.
(i) A renewable energy credit, carbon emission credit, or
zero emission credit can only be used once to comply with a
single portfolio or other standard as set forth in subsection
(c), subsection (d), or subsection (d-5) of this Section,
respectively. A renewable energy credit, carbon emission
credit, or zero emission credit cannot be used to satisfy the
requirements of more than one standard. If more than one type
of credit is issued for the same megawatt hour of energy, only
one credit can be used to satisfy the requirements of a single
standard. After such use, the credit must be retired together
with any other credits issued for the same megawatt hour of
energy.
(Source: P.A. 99-536, eff. 7-8-16; 99-906, eff. 6-1-17;
100-863, eff. 8-14-18; revised 10-18-18.)