(a)The General Assembly finds and declares that:
(1)fossil fuel-fired electric generating plants are a significant source of air emissions in this State and have become the subject of a number of important new studies of their effects on the public health;
(2)existing state and federal policies, that allow older plants that meet federal standards to operate without meeting the more stringent requirements applicable to new plants, are being questioned on the basis of their environmental impacts and the economic distortions such policies cause in a deregulated energy market;
(3)fossil fuel-fired electric generating plants are, or may be, affected by a number of regulatory programs, some of which are under review or development on the state and national levels, and to a certain extent the
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(a) The General Assembly finds and declares that: (1) fossil fuel-fired electric generating plants are a significant source of air emissions in this State and have become the subject of a number of important new studies of their effects on the public health; (2) existing state and federal policies, that allow older plants that meet federal standards to operate without meeting the more stringent requirements applicable to new plants, are being questioned on the basis of their environmental impacts and the economic distortions such policies cause in a deregulated energy market; (3) fossil fuel-fired electric generating plants are, or may be, affected by a number of regulatory programs, some of which are under review or development on the state and national levels, and to a certain extent the international level, including the federal acid rain program, tropospheric ozone, mercury and other hazardous pollutant control requirements, regional haze, and global warming; (4) scientific uncertainty regarding the formation of certain components of regional haze and the air quality modeling that predict impacts of control measures requires careful consideration of the timing of the control of some of the pollutants from these facilities, particularly sulfur dioxides and nitrogen oxides that each interact with ammonia and other substances in the atmosphere; (5) the development of energy policies to promote a safe, sufficient, reliable, and affordable energy supply on the state and national levels is being affected by the on-going deregulation of the power generation industry and the evolving energy markets; (6) the Governor's formation of an Energy Cabinet and the development of a State energy policy calls for actions by the Agency and the Board that are in harmony with the energy needs and policy of the State, while protecting the public health and the environment; (7) Illinois coal is an abundant resource and an important component of Illinois' economy whose use should be encouraged to the greatest extent possible consistent with protecting the public health and the environment; (8) renewable forms of energy should be promoted as an important element of the energy and environmental policies of the State and that it is a goal of the State that at least 5% of the State's energy production and use be derived from renewable forms of energy by 2010 and at least 15% from renewable forms of energy by 2020; (9) efforts on the state and federal levels are underway to consider the multiple environmental regulations affecting electric generating plants in order to improve the ability of government and the affected industry to engage in effective planning through the use of multi-pollutant strategies; and (10) these issues, taken together, call for a comprehensive review of the impact of these facilities on the public health, considering also the energy supply, reliability, and costs, the role of renewable forms of energy, and the developments in federal law and regulations that may affect any state actions, prior to making final decisions in Illinois. (b) Taking into account the findings and declarations of the General Assembly contained in subsection (a) of this Section, the Agency shall, before September 30, 2004, but not before September 30, 2003, issue to the House and Senate Committees on Environment and Energy findings that address the potential need for the control or reduction of emissions from fossil fuel-fired electric generating plants, including the following provisions: (1) reduction of nitrogen oxide emissions, as appropriate, with consideration of maximum annual emissions rate limits or establishment of an emissions trading program and with consideration of the developments in federal law and regulations that may affect any State action, prior to making final decisions in Illinois; (2) reduction of sulfur dioxide emissions, as appropriate, with consideration of maximum annual emissions rate limits or establishment of an emissions trading program and with consideration of the developments in federal law and regulations that may affect any State action, prior to making final decisions in Illinois; (3) incentives to promote renewable sources of energy consistent with item (8) of subsection (a) of this Section; (4) reduction of mercury as appropriate, consideration of the availability of control technology, industry practice requirements, or incentive programs, or some combination of these approaches that are sufficient to prevent unacceptable local impacts from individual facilities and with consideration of the developments in federal law and regulations that may affect any state action, prior to making final decisions in Illinois; and (5) establishment of a banking system, consistent with the United States Department of Energy's voluntary reporting system, for certifying credits for voluntary offsets of emissions of greenhouse gases, as identified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, or other voluntary reductions of greenhouse gases. Such reduction efforts may include, but are not limited to, carbon sequestration, technology-based control measures, energy efficiency measures, and the use of renewable energy sources. The Agency shall consider the impact on the public health, considering also energy supply, reliability and costs, the role of renewable forms of energy, and developments in federal law and regulations that may affect any state actions, prior to making final decisions in Illinois. (c) Nothing in this Section is intended to or should be interpreted in a manner to limit or restrict the authority of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to propose, or the Illinois Pollution Control Board to adopt, any regulations applicable or that may become applicable to the facilities covered by this Section that are required by federal law. (d) The Agency may file proposed rules with the Board to effectuate its findings provided to the Senate Committee on Environment and Energy and the House Committee on Environment and Energy in accordance with subsection (b) of this Section. Any such proposal shall not be submitted sooner than 90 days after the issuance of the findings provided for in subsection (b) of this Section. The Board shall take action on any such proposal within one year of the Agency's filing of the proposed rules. (e) This Section shall apply only to those electrical generating units that are subject to the provisions of Subpart W of Part 217 of Title 35 of the Illinois Administrative Code, as promulgated by the Illinois Pollution Control Board on December 21, 2000.