Illinois Signs “Solar Ramp-Up Bill,” Creates 5,000 Green Jobs
Yesterday Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed into law HB 6202, a “Solar Ramp-Up Bill” that would help the state and utilities meet renewable energy requirements established under the renewable portfolio standard. The bill requires 6 percent of utility energy to come from solar power by 2015.
Governor Quinn and state legislators passed this new bill in the hopes of assuring achievement of state renewable energy mandates, while ensuring that a healthy percentage of that energy comes from solar. Utilities must get at least one-half percent of their power from solar by 2012, with that total doubling each year (tripling between 2012 and 2013) until it reaches 6 percent in 2015.
HB 6202 amends the state’s net metering laws, making the date by which Illinois’ two largest utilities, Commonwealth Edison and Ameren, must begin purchasing solar power. The new 2012 deadline is three years earlier than previously required.
Also signed into law yesterday was HB 5429, preventing homeowner’s associations from blocking installation of solar panels on member rooftops.
Governor Quinn expects the two bills to add 5,000 new solar energy jobs in Illinois.
Solar Manufacturing Plant Opens in Rockford, PV Plant To Follow
Yesterday Governor Quinn also attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony at a new 200-acre solar manufacturing plant opening in the city of Rockford. Wanxiang America Corporation begins production at the plant with an initial workforce of only 12 workers, but plans to add over 40 new second- and third-shift workers in the immediate future. Another 300 workers could be hired over the next few years, when the plant reaches full manufacturing capacity.
In a very busy day for Quinn and Illinois solar power, the governor also announced $4 million in stimulus grants to help build a 62-MW solar power plant at the Wanxiang site. It will be the largest PV plant in the Midwest and one of the largest in the nation. The plant will produce enough solar electricity to power over 10,000 homes.
Photo Credit: National Instruments & Wikipedia
Posted on August 18th in Solar News by Dan.
August 18th, 2010 at 5:54 pm
Obama is on the right track by providing increased loans and tax breaks to small businesses. Small businesses are the life-blood of the economy directly responsible for over 70 percent of the jobs out there.
I believe President Obama is also correct in focusing on, and highly supporting the clean/green energy sector. Our dependence on foreign oil has simply got to end. If we continue sending hundreds of billions to Arab nations rather than keeping that money here in our countries energy sector, we will be writing our own epitaph. Why not invest in green energy sources and get our nation actually producing hard goods again. If all goes as planned, this go-round our manufacturing prowess will be in the form of solar panels, electric cars and drive trains and wind turbines rather than new houses and electronic consumer products.
The good thing here is that by doing this it kills two or three birds with one stone. Concurrently, alternative energy development will help grow jobs and rid our nation improve its air quality, reduce greenhouse gases and stop sending the hundreds of billions of dollars to hostile nations. We can then free up all of this capital for further reinvestment into additional job creation. Seems like a win-win situation all the way around.
Let’s face it, solar, wind, electric cars and other forms of renewable energy and transportation are the wave of the future. If we don’t lead the way, China or other nations will.
Read my Job Sector blog at http:/www.jobservicehelp.com
August 19th, 2010 at 6:03 am
[...] by 2013, three percent by 2014 and, finally, six percent by 2015. The new law, dubbed the Solar Ramp-Up Bill, will go a long way toward advancing Illionois’ renewable energy portfolio, which states that [...]
August 19th, 2010 at 7:05 am
[...] Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed into law a “Solar Ramp-Up Bill” that would help the state and utilities meet renewable energy requirements established under the renewable portfolio standard. The bill requires 6 percent of utility energy to come from solar power by 2015. Governor Quinn and state legislators passed this new bill in the hopes of assuring achievement of state renewable energy mandates, while ensuring that a healthy percentage of that energy comes from solar. Also signed into law yesterday was a bill preventing homeowner’s associations from blocking installation of solar panels on member rooftops. Governor Quinn expects the two bills to add 5,000 new solar energy jobs in Illinois. [Read this article] [...]
August 21st, 2010 at 11:54 am
[...] U.S. news? If so, head on over to the CalFinder Solar blog and read an uplifting story on a new Illinois law that will create 5,000 new solar energy jobs and help the state and its utilities meet their renewable energy targets. Nice [...]
August 25th, 2010 at 9:53 am
We wanted to post a correction regarding this interesting post. The author writes, “Utilities must get at least one-half percent of their power from solar by 2012, with that total doubling each year (tripling between 2012 and 2013) until it reaches 6 percent in 2015.” These numbers for the solar carve out are incorrect. In 2015, HB 6202 requires 6.00% of the general renewable portfolio standard to come from solar. Likewise, in 2012, HB 6202 requires 0.5% of the general renewable portfolio standard to come from solar. In 2012, the solar carve out effectively equates to 0.0035% (or .05% multiplied by 7.00% of electricity sales, and in 2015 0.600% (or 15% multiplied by 10%). Please visit http://www.solsystemscompany.com/blog/ to continue to track interesting solar developments as discussed above.
August 25th, 2010 at 11:44 am
Thanks for the correction