A BESS installation by 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 WAND. By incentivizing new storage buildouts and VPP programs, the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act aims to help the unstable grid better accommodate skyrocketing demand posed by new data centers and increasing electrification.
The bill would also place new requirements on utilities to establish time-of-use rate policies to encourage homeowners to reduce demand on the grid at 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 the Senate discussing the bill as veto session closes,” said Solar Powers Illinois in a press statement. “This vote proves Illinois recognizes the importance of embracing solar and storage and Virtual Power Plants. Not only will CRGA lower Illinois energy costs, but it will also ensure Illinois’ thriving clean energy industry is insulated from recently enacted federal policies that are threatening hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars of economic activity nationwide.”
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