Electricity purchased from qualified solid waste energy facility; tax credit; distributions for economic development.
(a)It is hereby declared to be the policy of this State to encourage the development of alternate energy production facilities in order to conserve our energy resources and to provide for their most efficient use.
(b)For the purpose of this Section and Section 9-215.1, "qualified solid waste energy facility" means a facility determined by the Illinois Commerce Commission to qualify as such under the Local Solid Waste Disposal Act, to use methane gas generated from landfills as its primary fuel, and to possess characteristics that would enable it to qualify as a cogeneration or small power production facility under federal law.
(c)In furtherance of the policy declared in
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Electricity purchased from qualified solid waste energy facility; tax credit; distributions for economic development. (a) It is hereby declared to be the policy of this State to encourage the development of alternate energy production facilities in order to conserve our energy resources and to provide for their most efficient use. (b) For the purpose of this Section and Section 9-215.1, "qualified solid waste energy facility" means a facility determined by the Illinois Commerce Commission to qualify as such under the Local Solid Waste Disposal Act, to use methane gas generated from landfills as its primary fuel, and to possess characteristics that would enable it to qualify as a cogeneration or small power production facility under federal law. (c) In furtherance of the policy declared in this Section, the Illinois Commerce Commission shall require electric utilities to enter into long-term contracts to purchase electricity from qualified solid waste energy facilities located in the electric utility's service area, for a period beginning on the date that the facility begins generating electricity and having a duration of not less than 10 years in the case of facilities fueled by landfill-generated methane, or 20 years in the case of facilities fueled by methane generated from a landfill owned by a forest preserve district. The purchase rate contained in such contracts shall be equal to the average amount per kilowatt-hour paid from time to time by the unit or units of local government in which the electricity generating facilities are located, excluding amounts paid for street lighting and pumping service. (d) Whenever a public utility is required to purchase electricity pursuant to subsection (c) above, it shall be entitled to credits in respect of its obligations to remit to the State taxes it has collected under the Electricity Excise Tax Law equal to the amounts, if any, by which payments for such electricity exceed (i) the then current rate at which the utility must purchase the output of qualified facilities pursuant to the federal Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978, less (ii) any costs, expenses, losses, damages or other amounts incurred by the utility, or for which it becomes liable, arising out of its failure to obtain such electricity from such other sources. The amount of any such credit shall, in the first instance, be determined by the utility, which shall make a monthly report of such credits to the Illinois Commerce Commission and, on its monthly tax return, to the Illinois Department of Revenue. Under no circumstances shall a utility be required to purchase electricity from a qualified solid waste energy facility at the rate prescribed in subsection (c) of this Section if such purchase would result in estimated tax credits that exceed, on a monthly basis, the utility's estimated obligation to remit to the State taxes it has collected under the Electricity Excise Tax Law. The owner or operator shall negotiate facility operating conditions with the purchasing utility in accordance with that utility's posted standard terms and conditions for small power producers. If the Department of Revenue disputes the amount of any such credit, such dispute shall be decided by the Illinois Commerce Commission. Whenever a qualified solid waste energy facility has paid or otherwise satisfied in full the capital costs or indebtedness incurred in developing and implementing the qualified solid waste energy facility, whenever the qualified solid waste energy facility ceases to operate and produce electricity from methane gas generated from landfills, or at the end of the contract entered into pursuant to subsection (c) of this Section, whichever occurs first, the qualified solid waste energy facility shall reimburse the Public Utility Fund and the General Revenue Fund in the State treasury for the actual reduction in payments to those Funds caused by this subsection (d) in a manner to be determined by the Illinois Commerce Commission and based on the manner in which revenues for those Funds were reduced. The payments shall be made to the Illinois Commerce Commission, which shall determine the appropriate disbursements to the Public Utility Fund and the General Revenue Fund based on this subsection (d). (e) The Illinois Commerce Commission shall not require an electric utility to purchase electricity from any qualified solid waste energy facility which is owned or operated by an entity that is primarily engaged in the business of producing or selling electricity, gas, or useful thermal energy from a source other than one or more qualified solid waste energy facilities. (e-5) A qualified solid waste energy facility may receive the purchase rate provided in subsection (c) of this Section only for kilowatt-hours generated by the use of methane gas generated from landfills. The purchase rate provided in subsection (c) of this Section does not apply to electricity generated by the use of a fuel that is not methane gas generated from landfills. If the Illinois Commerce Commission determines that a qualified solid waste energy facility has violated the requirement regarding the use of methane gas generated from a landfill as set forth in this subsection (e-5), then the Commission shall issue an order requiring that the qualified solid waste energy facility repay the State for all dollar amounts of electricity sales that are determined by the Commission to be the result of the violation. As part of that order, the Commission shall have the authority to revoke the facility's approval to act as a qualified solid waste energy facility granted by the Commission under this Section. If the amount owed by the qualified solid waste energy facility is not received by the Commission within 90 days after the date of the Commission's order that requires repayment, then the Commission shall issue an order that revokes the facility's approval to act as a qualified solid waste energy facility granted by the Commission under this Section. The Commission's action that vacates prior qualified solid waste energy facility approval does not excuse the repayment to the State treasury required by subsection (d) of this Section for utility tax credits accumulated up to the time of the Commission's action. A qualified solid waste energy facility must receive Commission approval before it may use any fuel in addition to methane gas generated from a landfill in order to generate electricity. If a qualified solid waste energy facility petitions the Commission to use any fuel in addition to methane gas generated from a landfill to generate electricity, then the Commission shall have the authority to do the following: (1) establish the methodology for determining the amount of electricity that is generated by the use of methane gas generated from a landfill and the amount that is generated by the use of other fuel; (2) determine all reporting requirements for the qualified solid waste energy facility that are necessary for the Commission to determine the amount of electricity that is generated by the use of methane gas from a landfill and the amount that is generated by the use of other fuel and the resulting payments to the qualified solid waste energy facility; and (3) require that the qualified solid waste energy facility, at the qualified solid waste energy facility's expense, install metering equipment that the Commission determines is necessary to enforce compliance with this subsection (e-5). A public utility that is required to enter into a long-term purchase contract with a qualified solid waste energy facility has no duty to determine whether the electricity being purchased was generated by the use of methane gas generated from a landfill or was generated by the use of some other fuel in violation of the requirements of this subsection (e-5). (f) This Section does not require an electric utility to construct additional facilities unless those facilities are paid for by the owner or operator of the affected qualified solid waste energy facility. (g) The Illinois Commerce Commission shall require that: (1) electric utilities use the electricity purchased from a qualified solid waste energy facility to displace electricity generated from nuclear power or coal mined and purchased outside the boundaries of the State of Illinois before displacing electricity generated from coal mined and purchased within the State of Illinois, to the extent possible, and (2) electric utilities report annually to the Commission on the extent of such displacements. (h) Nothing in this Section is intended to cause an electric utility that is required to purchase power hereunder to incur any economic loss as a result of its purchase. All amounts paid for power which a utility is required to purchase pursuant to subparagraph (c) shall be deemed to be costs prudently incurred for purposes of computing charges under rates authorized by Section 9-220 of this Act. Tax credits provided for herein shall be reflected in charges made pursuant to rates so authorized to the extent such credits are based upon a cost which is also reflected in such charges. (i) (Blank). (j) (Blank). (k) (Blank). (l) (Blank). (m) On and after June 6, 2006 (the effective date of Public Act 94-836), beginning on the first date on which renewable energy certificates or other salable representations are sold by a qualified solid waste energy facility, with or without the electricity generated by the facility, and utilized by an electric utility or another electric supplier to comply with a renewable energy portfolio standard mandated by Illinois law or mandated by order of the Illinois Commerce Commission, that qualified solid waste energy facility may not sell electricity pursuant to this Section and shall be exempt from the requirements of subsections (a) through (l) of this Section, except that it shall remain obligated for any reimbursements required under subsection (d) of this Section. All of the provisions of this Section shall remain in full force and effect with respect to any qualified solid waste energy facility that sold electric energy pursuant to this Section at any time before July 1, 2006 and that does not sell renewable energy certificates or other salable representations to meet the requirements of a renewable energy portfolio standard mandated by Illinois law or mandated by order of the Illinois Commerce Commission. (n) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, beginning on July 1, 2006, the Illinois Commerce Commission shall not issue any order determining that a facility is a qualified solid waste energy facility unless the qualified solid waste energy facility was determined by the Illinois Commerce Commission to be a qualified solid waste energy facility before July 1, 2006. As a guide to the intent, interpretation, and application of Public Act 94-836, it is hereby declared to be the policy of this State to honor each qualified solid waste energy facility contract in existence on June 6, 2006 (the effective date of Public Act 94-836) if the qualified solid waste energy facility continues to meet the requirements of this Section for the duration of its respective contract term.