State Senator Jason Plummer (R-Edwardsville) issued the following statement after Governor Pritzker signed the controversial “Energy Omnibus Bill” into law:

“Illinois is already in the middle of an affordability crisis. Families can’t afford to live here, businesses can’t afford to operate here, and this new energy law will only make things worse.

“Working families are already watching their electric bills climb month after month. This law eliminates the few remaining protections that helped keep costs in check and hands Governor Pritzker’s appointed, unelected regulators the power to approve massive rate increases with little accountability. That means higher bills, fewer safeguards, and no relief in sight for people who are already struggling to get by.

“Local communities are also being silenced. Under this law, large battery storage facilities can be built just 150 feet from a home or farm, and local officials are stripped of their ability to step in. The idea that Governor Pritzker is selling this as good for families and businesses is a joke. This is blatant government overreach.

“Democrats’ so-called ‘clean and reliable’ energy policies aren’t working for the 55th Senate District or anywhere else in this state. People can’t afford their bills, local control is being stripped away, businesses are leaving, and our grid is failing the very people it’s supposed to serve. This was a Pritzker power grab, plain and simple.”