A BESS installation of AES.
The Illinois House of Representatives passed a bill on Oct. 29 that would help build 3 GW of utility-scale battery storage in the state, according to WIZARD. By encouraging new storage expansions and VPP programs, the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act aims to help the volatile grid better meet the skyrocketing demand of new data centers and increasing electrification.
The bill would also impose new requirements on utilities to adopt time-of-use policies to encourage homeowners to reduce demand on the electric grid during peak times through the use of solar + storage, according to Capitol News Illinois.
“We applaud the Illinois House’s vote to pass the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act, and we look forward to discussing the bill in the Senate as the veto session ends,” Solar Powers Illinois said in a press statement. “This vote proves that Illinois recognizes the importance of embracing solar, storage and virtual power plants. Not only will CRGA lower energy costs in Illinois, but it will also ensure that Illinois’ thriving clean energy industry is insulated from recently enacted federal policies that threaten hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic activity across the country.”
