2023 Illinois Compiled Statutes › Chapter 20 - EXECUTIVE BRANCH › 20 ILCS 687/ - Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, and Coal Resources Development Law of 1997. › Article 6 - Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, and Coal Resources Development Law of 1997

(20 ILCS 687/Art. 6 heading)
ARTICLE 6
(20 ILCS 687/6-1)
(Section scheduled to be repealed on December 31, 2025)
Sec. 6-1. 
		Short title. 
		This Article may be cited as the Renewable Energy,
Energy Efficiency, and Coal Resources Development Law of 1997.
(Source: P.A. 90-561, eff. 12-16-97.)
(20 ILCS 687/6-2)
(Section scheduled to be repealed on December 31, 2025)
Sec. 6-2. 
		Findings and intent. 
		The General Assembly
finds and declares that it is desirable to obtain the
environmental quality, public health, and fuel diversity
benefits of developing new renewable energy resources and
clean coal technologies for use in Illinois and to lower the
cost of renewable energy resources and clean coal resources
provided to utility consumers. The General Assembly finds and
declares that the benefits of electricity from renewable
energy resources and clean coal technologies accrue to the
public at large, thus consumers and electric utilities and
alternative retail electric suppliers share an interest in
developing and using a significant level of these
environmentally preferable resources in the State's
electricity supply portfolio. The General Assembly finds and
declares that encouraging energy efficiency will improve the
environmental quality and public health in the State of
Illinois.
(Source: P.A. 90-561, eff. 12-16-97.)
(20 ILCS 687/6-3)
(Section scheduled to be repealed on December 31, 2025)
Sec. 6-3. Renewable energy resources program.
(a) The Environmental Protection Agency, to
be called the "Agency" hereinafter in this Law, shall
administer the Renewable Energy Resources Program to provide
grants, loans, and other incentives to foster investment in
and the development and use of renewable energy resources.
(b) The Agency may, by administrative rule, establish and adjust eligibility criteria
for grants, loans, and other incentives to foster investment
in and the development and use of renewable energy resources.
 The criteria should promote the goal of fostering
investment in and the development and use, in Illinois, of
renewable energy resources.
(c) The Agency may accept applications for grants,
loans, and other incentives to foster investment in and the
development and use of renewable energy resources.
(d) To the extent that funds are available and
appropriated, the Agency shall provide grants, loans, and
other incentives to applicants
that meet the criteria specified by the Agency.
(e) (Blank).
(f) As used in this Law, "renewable energy resources" includes energy from
wind, solar thermal energy, photovoltaic
cells and panels, dedicated crops
grown for energy production and organic waste biomass, hydropower that does not
involve new construction or significant expansion of hydropower dams, and other
such alternative sources of environmentally preferable energy.
"Renewable energy resources" does not include, however, energy from the
incineration or burning of waste wood, tires, garbage, general
household, institutional and commercial waste, industrial lunchroom or office
waste, landscape waste, or construction or demolition debris.
(g) There is created the Energy Efficiency Investment Fund as a special
fund
in the State Treasury, to be administered by the Agency to support the
development of technologies for wind, biomass, and solar power in Illinois.
The Agency
 may accept private and public funds, including federal funds, for
deposit into the Fund.
(Source: P.A. 102-444, eff. 8-20-21.)
(20 ILCS 687/6-4)
(Section scheduled to be repealed on December 31, 2025)
Sec. 6-4. Renewable Energy Resources Trust Fund.
(a) A fund to be called the Renewable Energy Resources
Trust Fund is hereby established in the State Treasury.
(b) The Renewable Energy Resources Trust Fund shall be
administered by the Agency to provide grants, loans, and
other incentives to foster investment in and the development
and use of renewable energy resources as provided in Section
6-3 of this Law or pursuant to the Illinois Renewable Fuels Development Program Act.
(c) All funds used by the Agency for the Renewable
Energy Resources Program shall be subject to appropriation by
the General Assembly.
(Source: P.A. 102-444, eff. 8-20-21.)
(20 ILCS 687/6-5)
(Section scheduled to be repealed on December 31, 2025)
Sec. 6-5. Renewable Energy Resources and Coal Technology
Development Assistance Charge.
(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 16-111 of the Public
Utilities
Act but subject to subsection (e) of this Section,
each
public utility, electric cooperative, as defined in Section 3.4 of the Electric
Supplier
Act, and municipal utility, as referenced in Section 3-105 of the Public
Utilities Act,
that is engaged in the delivery of electricity or the distribution of natural
gas within
the State of Illinois shall, effective January 1, 1998, assess each of its
customer
accounts a monthly Renewable Energy Resources and Coal Technology
Development Assistance Charge.  The delivering public utility, municipal
electric or
gas utility, or electric or gas cooperative for a self-assessing purchaser
remains
subject to the collection of the fee imposed by this Section.  The monthly
charge
shall be as follows:
(1) $0.05 per month on each account for residential     electric service as defined in Section 13 of the Energy Assistance Act;
(2) $0.05 per month on each account for residential     gas service as defined in Section 13 of the Energy Assistance Act;
(3) $0.50 per month on each account for     nonresidential electric service, as defined in Section 13 of the Energy Assistance Act, which had less than 10 megawatts of peak demand during the previous calendar year;
(4) $0.50 per month on each account for     nonresidential gas service, as defined in Section 13 of the Energy Assistance Act, which had distributed to it less than 4,000,000 therms of gas during the previous calendar year;
(5) $37.50 per month on each account for     nonresidential electric service, as defined in Section 13 of the Energy Assistance Act, which had 10 megawatts or greater of peak demand during the previous calendar year; and
(6) $37.50 per month on each account for     nonresidential gas service, as defined in Section 13 of the Energy Assistance Act, which had 4,000,000 or more therms of gas distributed to it during the previous calendar year.
(b) The Renewable Energy Resources and Coal Technology Development
Assistance
Charge assessed by electric and gas public utilities shall be considered a
charge
for public utility service.
(c) Fifty percent of the moneys collected pursuant to
this Section shall be deposited in the Renewable Energy
Resources Trust Fund by the Department of Revenue. From those funds, $2,000,000 may be used annually by the Environmental Protection Agency to provide grants to the Illinois Green Economy Network for the purposes of funding education and training for renewable energy and energy efficiency technology and for the operation and services of the Illinois Green Economy Network. The remaining 50 percent
of the moneys
collected pursuant to this Section shall be deposited in the
Coal Technology Development Assistance Fund by the Department of Revenue
for the exclusive purposes of (1) capturing or sequestering carbon emissions produced by coal combustion; (2) supporting research on the capture and sequestration of carbon emissions produced by coal combustion; and (3) improving coal miner safety.
(d) By the 20th day of the month following the month in which the charges
imposed by this Section were collected, each utility
and alternative retail electric
supplier collecting charges
pursuant to this Section shall remit
to the Department of Revenue for deposit in the
Renewable Energy Resources Trust Fund and the Coal Technology Development
Assistance Fund all
moneys received as payment of the charge provided for in this
Section on a return prescribed and furnished by the Department of Revenue
showing such information as the Department of Revenue may reasonably require.
If any payment provided for in this Section exceeds the utility or alternative retail electric supplier's liabilities under this Act, as shown on an original return, the utility or alternative retail electric supplier may credit the excess payment against liability subsequently  to be remitted to the Department of Revenue under this Act.
(e) The charges imposed by this Section shall only apply
to customers of municipal electric or gas utilities and electric or gas
cooperatives if the municipal electric or gas utility or electric or
gas
cooperative makes an affirmative decision to impose the
charge.
If a municipal electric or gas utility or an electric or gas cooperative
makes an
affirmative decision to impose the charge provided by this Section, the
municipal
electric or gas utility or electric or gas cooperative shall inform the
Department of
Revenue in writing of such decision when it begins to impose the charge.
If a municipal electric or gas utility or electric or gas
cooperative does not assess this charge, its customers shall
not be eligible for the Renewable Energy Resources Program.
(f) The Department of Revenue may establish such rules as it deems
necessary to implement this Section.
(Source: P.A. 102-444, eff. 8-20-21; 103-154, eff. 6-30-23.)
(20 ILCS 687/6-5.5)
(Section scheduled to be repealed on December 31, 2025)
Sec. 6-5.5. Renewable energy grants.
(a)  Subject to appropriation, the Agency may operate a renewable energy grant program to assist public schools and community colleges with engineering studies and feasibility studies and in training green economy technology and in the installation, acquisition, construction, and improvement of renewable energy resources, including without limitation smart grid technology, solar energy (such as solar panels), geothermal energy, and wind energy.
(b)  The schools and community colleges may accept private funds for their portion of the cost.
(c)  The Agency may adopt any rules that are necessary to carry out its responsibilities under this Section.
(Source: P.A. 102-444, eff. 8-20-21.)
(20 ILCS 687/6-6)
(Section scheduled to be repealed on December 31, 2025)
Sec. 6-6. Energy efficiency program.
(a) For the year beginning January 1, 1998, and
thereafter as provided in this Section, each electric utility
as defined in Section 3-105 of the Public Utilities Act and each
alternative retail electric supplier as defined in Section 16-102 of the
Public Utilities Act supplying
electric power and energy to retail customers located in the
State of Illinois shall contribute annually
a pro rata share of
a total amount of $3,000,000 based upon the number of
kilowatt-hours sold by each such entity in the 12 months
preceding the year of contribution.  On or before May 1 of each year, the
Illinois Commerce Commission shall
determine and notify the Agency
 of the pro rata share
owed by each electric utility and each alternative retail electric supplier
based upon information supplied annually to the Illinois Commerce
Commission.  On or before June 1 of each year, the Agency
shall
send written notification to each electric utility and each alternative retail
electric supplier of the amount of pro rata share they owe.
 These contributions shall
be remitted to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency on or before June 30 of each
year the contribution is due on a return prescribed and furnished by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
 showing such information as the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency may
reasonably require.  The funds received pursuant to this Section shall be subject to the
appropriation of funds by the General Assembly.  The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
 shall place the funds remitted under this Section
in a trust fund, that is hereby created in the State Treasury,
called the Energy Efficiency Trust Fund.
If an electric utility or alternative retail electric supplier does not remit
its
pro rata share to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency 
must inform the Illinois Commerce Commission of such failure.  The Illinois
Commerce Commission may then revoke the certification of that electric
utility or alternative retail electric supplier.  The Illinois Commerce
Commission may not renew the certification of any electric utility or
alternative retail electric supplier that is delinquent in paying its pro
rata
share. These changes made to this subsection (a) by this amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly apply beginning July 1, 2023.
(b) The Agency shall disburse the
moneys in the
Energy Efficiency Trust Fund to benefit residential electric customers
through projects which the Agency has
determined will
promote energy efficiency in the State of Illinois.  The
Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall establish a list of
projects eligible for
grants from the Energy Efficiency Trust Fund including, but
not limited to, supporting energy efficiency efforts for low-income households,
replacing energy inefficient windows with
more efficient windows, replacing energy inefficient
appliances with more efficient appliances, replacing energy
inefficient lighting with more efficient lighting, insulating
dwellings and buildings, using market incentives to encourage energy
efficiency, and such other projects which will
increase energy efficiency in homes and rental properties.
(c) The Agency may, by administrative rule, establish
criteria and an
application process for this grant program.
(d) (Blank).
(e) (Blank).
(Source: P.A. 102-444, eff. 8-20-21; 103-363, eff. 7-28-23.)
(20 ILCS 687/6-6.5)
Sec. 6-6.5. (Repealed).
(Source: P.A. 99-155, eff. 7-28-15. Repealed internally, eff. 1-1-17.)
(20 ILCS 687/6-7)
(Section scheduled to be repealed on December 31, 2025)
Sec. 6-7. Repeal. The provisions of this Law are repealed on December 31, 2025.
(Source: P.A. 101-639, eff. 6-12-20; 102-444, eff. 8-20-21.)
(20 ILCS 687/6-8)
(Section scheduled to be repealed on December 31, 2025)
Sec. 6-8. Application of Retailers' Occupation Tax provisions. All the provisions of Sections 4, 5, 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 5f, 5g, 5i, 5j, 6, 6a, 6b, 6c, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 11a, 12, and 13 of the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act that are not inconsistent with this Act apply, as far as practicable, to the surcharge imposed by this Act to the same extent as if those provisions were included in this Act. References in the incorporated Sections of the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act to retailers, to sellers, or to persons engaged in the business of selling tangible personal property mean persons required to remit the charge imposed under this Act.
(Source: P.A. 100-1171, eff. 1-4-19.)