Working to provide more relief to Illinoisans facing rising energy costs, state Rep. Elizabeth ‘Lisa’ Hernandez, D-Cicero, passed reforms last Wednesday that sought to bring down home energy bills. Many Illinois residents have seen home energy costs skyrocket. Increased power demands from new high-tech businesses and Washington’s massive tax bill threaten to raise costs even further resulting in $9.5 billion in increased state energy costs. The Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act (Senate Bill 25) puts Illinois on better footing to counteract rising energy prices by tapping into:

• Capturing clean energy: By capturing and redistributing energy already being produced, including from home solar panels, ComEd customers can see immediate relief on monthly costs.

• Increasing battery storage: By building out our grid to increase the state’s battery storage, power systems will become more reliable and affordable to power millions of Illinois homes.

• Investing in energy efficiency programs: Senate Bill 25 directly expands energy efficiency programs for residents, lowering electricity prices by reducing overall demand, and improves equity in programs by allocating a minimum amount of funds to support low-income customers.