Rep. Hernandez: Can Our Power Grid Handle Our Future Economy?

Last year, I was excited to attend the groundbreaking of the new CyrusOne data center in Aurora, which will deliver hundreds of construction and data center jobs for our community.

CyrusOne is one of the many data centers breaking ground across Illinois. There is no doubt high-tech industries like data centers, quantum computing, and AI are a significant part of the future of Aurora’s and the state’s economy. However, to take full advantage of these opportunities, my colleagues in Springfield need to act quickly to strengthen our energy grid. As soon as 2030, Illinois’ energy demand will outpace supply, leading to a higher risk of blackouts and creating more expensive energy bills for businesses and families alike, which could upend Illinois’ progress and leadership in attracting investments from emerging industries.

That is why I am proud to be a chief co-sponsor of new legislation, HB3758/SB2497, that will avoid this impending crisis. This bill, led by Sen. Bill Cunningham and Rep. Marcus Evans, will build the clean energy capacity Illinois needs to meet future energy demand and our state’s ultimate goal of 100% clean energy. By investing in the grid now to avoid a shortage in 2030, we will save businesses and families $2.4 billion on energy bills by avoiding price spikes, and we will prime the state for billions of dollars in high-tech investments that require the energy grid of the future to operate.

Not only will HB3859/SB2497 invest in Illinois energy while creating real and lasting savings across the state, but it will be a shot in the arm for our economy. Statewide, the bill is projected to generate up to $16 billion in economic activity and create more than 115,000 high-quality, union jobs. The bill does all this by constructing 15 gigawatts of clean energy storage, a technology that stores excess wind and solar energy for use when the sun isn’t shining and wind isn’t blowing - optimizing current and future clean energy generators on the grid.

As a leader representing Aurora in the General Assembly, it is my job to deliver high-quality, union jobs for our community; to protect our hard-working residents, families, and businesses from rising energy bills; and to ensure Illinois has a stable, reliable energy grid so we can keep air conditioners running during the hottest summer days and heaters through the coldest winter nights.

Illinois is a great state in which to do business; we have ample land, plentiful natural resources, and energy costs well below the national average. Businesses can easily anticipate energy costs because we have a stable, reliable, and affordable grid right now. However, we may lose our advantages if our projected capacity shortfall comes to pass.

Energy projections are already threatening that advantage. As early as this summer, Chicagoland families and businesses will have significantly higher energy bills as the market reacts to our likely capacity shortfall. And keep in mind, Illinois currently generates more energy than we need. These price spikes are based on our future projections, so imagine how much higher energy bills will climb in 2030 once we are forced to import energy or delay the long-planned closure of aging, dirty, and expensive coal plants.

We still have time to alter course, but time is of the essence. Large-scale energy infrastructure can take years to build, but storage, solar, and wind are by far the fastest technologies to build – all under two years on average for a power plant – meaning we can have enough clean energy capacity in place to avoid the energy shortfall and continue to be an attractive state for economic development if we start building now. It is also important to remember that the act of building a strong grid creates jobs itself; the solar industry alone employs about 6,000 Illinois workers, and thousands more neighbors would have new opportunities in the clean energy industry as we build storage infrastructure.

HB3758/SB2497 is a cost-effective and timely solution that will create more job opportunities for Aurorans and all Illinois residents, invest in our energy grid to prepare for the economy of the future, and put money back into the pockets of Illinois residents and businesses. The future of Illinois’ economy is in our hands, but only if we act now.