Dupage Policy Journal

Mark Denzler, president and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers' Association led the group in objecting to energy legislation proposed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

He talked about the negative impact of the measure on Illinois businesses

“Make no mistake,” Denzler said. “This is the largest rate hike on Illinois businesses in our state’s history and will create reliability issues. This legislation will have a disproportionate impact on our state's manufacturers because they use one-third of all energy consumed in the United States … This is no way to approach landmark energy legislation that will upend our state's competitive energy marketplace.”

He pointed out that manufacturers are leading other companies in developing new technologies that make energy more affordable, reliable, and cleaner.

“In the last decade, our nation's manufacturing sector has reduced emissions by 21% while increasing economic output by 18%,” Denzler said. “So, energy policy can present great opportunities for manufacturers, but also great challenges and obstacles which is why we’re united today in opposition to the clean energy proposal that’s been circulated in recent weeks by the governor's administration.”

He alleged that the measure was drafted behind closed doors and “despite repeated requests, the governor's office has failed to provide rate-cost-estimate studies on reliability or the impact on job loss from companies who will be asked to pay significantly higher electric bills.”

“At a minimum, we project the first installment or cost increase to be $700 million per year,” Denzler said. “Ratepayers will also be asked to shoulder $215 million for new programs under which they had no input, and even more disturbing is the scheme that's come forward in the last month that will result in a massive cost shift to commercial and industrial ratepayers … Because this proposal is being drafted in secret there's no telling what the final price tag will be.”

Denzler was joined by Jacob Margulies from Continental Envelope, Jeff Dorries with Alton Steel, Rick Terven from the Illinois Pipe Trades Association, Chad Goldschmidt with South Western Illinois Building & Trades Council, Jeff Atkinson from the Grain & Feed Association of Illinois, and Rob Carr from the Illinois Retail Merchants Association.

According to Denzler, manufacturers employ 556,000 women and men in Illinois factories today and “contribute to the single largest share of the Illinois economy.” 

Pritzker’s bill is targeting zero use of coal by 2030 and natural gas by 2045 which would include plant-specific declining caps on emissions that would subsequently result in stoppage of plant operations and a carbon tax starting at $8/ton and escalating 3% annually.