House passes energy bill amid debate over costs to consumers

SPRINGFIELD — Illinoisans could see a new line item on their electric bills under a bill passed Wednesday night by the Illinois House.

Under the proposal, contained in an amendment to Senate Bill 25 , ratepayers will subsidize energy storage projects like large battery installations.

Environmental groups and the renewable energy industry often tout batteries as a way to make solar and wind power facilities more effective by storing energy for when the sun isn’t shining or wind isn’t blowing.

The bill, which passed the House 70-37, has been in the works for more than a year. Much of the back-and-forth between lawmakers, business groups, environmentalists and organized labor centered on the balance between reliability and consumer costs.

The bill now goes to the Senate for consideratio