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while also promoting economic development for the Chicago area. Energy
savings is a secondary benefit of this initiative, that to date has gone
unemphasized.
Although pollution reduction was the primary goal of Clean Air Counts, energy
savings of 1.10 million megawatt hours per year by 2007 was also identified in
setting goals of reducing VOM emissions by 5.0 tons per day and NOx by 10.9
tons per day. This energy savings equates to a reduction of nearly 127 megawatts
in demand capacity. When setting this initial goal in 1999, Clean Air Counts also
recognized the potential to be 6.1 million megawatts hours per year, which
translates into approximately 700 megawatts of demand side savings.29
Energy Efficiency Programs
Many of the mechanisms necessary to expand the use of renewable and recycled
energy, as well as demand side management, have been in place for several years
in Illinois. Through various State actions and programs, funds have been made
available to enable demonstrations of these new technologies, thereby establishing
their feasibility and reliability. The following is a list of some of the existing
State energy efficiency and renewable programs currently available in Illinois.
Illinois Clean Energy Development Fund
The Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation was created as a result of a
one-time payment of $225 million by Commonwealth Edison as a public
interest environmental condition of its proposed coal plant sale and as part of
legislation approved by the Illinois General Assembly in 1999. The
Foundation was given $225 million of assets to further its mission of
improving energy efficiency, developing renewable energy resources and
certain other specified environmental measures.
City of Chicago Clean Energy Development Fund
The City of Chicago Environmental Fund was also created as a result of the
settlement of the city’s claims against Commonwealth Edison relating to the
franchise agreement. This fund had $25 million per year for each of four
years beginning in 2000. About half of the funds are devoted to energy
efficiency and the other half to renewables.
Energy Efficiency Investment Fund
The Illinois Energy Efficiency Trust Fund was enacted by the Illinois General
Assembly and is supported by utility and energy supplier payments that
provide $3 million per year for each of 10 years beginning in 1997. The
DCEO manages this fund.
