WOODHULL… State Representative Dan Swanson (R-Alpha) voted no on Senate Bill 2408, the House omnibus energy bill, on September 9.
“This bill involves the largest rate hike on Illinois ratepayers passed by the legislature in the past 25 years,” said Swanson. “Not only that, but the legislation extends eminent domain rights to private companies for purposes of building transmission lines to send energy generated inside Illinois to outside of Illinois while destroying family farms in operation more than 150 years.”
Beyond the concerns of landowners and the Illinois Farm Bureau, Swanson went on to criticize the nature of the abolition of Illinois prior “all of the above” energy policy.
“This bill gives insufficient support for the jobs being lost by this war on coal and natural gas. Additionally, several communities in my district, including Princeton and Geneseo purchase energy from Prairie State, which is targeted for closure in this bill,” said Swanson. “My family farm has numerous commercial wind turbines adjacent too and on property we farm. I have installed renewable energy projects on my own farm, so I am no stranger to supporting renewables. But a proper balance has NOT been struck in the Democrat’s energy deal.”
“Under this bill, ratepayers have been dealt massive rate hikes to largely subsidize corporate profits while failing to protect the long-term baseload energy demands of Illinois residents and businesses,” Swanson concluded.
Swanson voted NO on Senate Bill 2408, which passed the Illinois House by a vote of 83-33.
More on this and other state issues can be found at Rep. Swanson’s legislative website at repswanson.com.