Southern Illinois News

Illinois State Rep. Patrick Windhorst, R-Metropolis, and other Republican state lawmakers proposed legislation aimed at cutting energy costs by adding coal and natural gas back into the state's energy lineup.

Windhorst announced he'd signed on to sponsor a new energy package to help people who live in Illinois in an Aug. 10 Facebook post. He shared his thoughts on the 2021 Climate and Equitable Jobs Act.

"I favor an all-of-the-above approach to providing energy to our citizens, but CEJA simply went too far too fast," Windhorst said in the post. "The result has been a dramatic and devastating spike in the cost of energy for regular people, working families, seniors on fixed incomes and businesses of all sizes. The legislation I'm sponsoring along with several of my colleagues on the republican side of the aisle is aimed at restoring coal and natural gas as internal parts of Illinois' energy portfolio. We have a massive amount of these resources right under our feet."

Windhorst signed on to the "comprehensive package of energy-focused legislation," according to a news release issued the same day. One of the proposals in the package is geared toward helping new nuclear power plant operators and owners by streamlining the bureaucratic process to help get them operating sooner.

Under House Bill 5780, a new Power Grid Task Force would be formed to look into how state laws, including CEJA, are impacting energy prices and the reliability of the state's energy grid, the release stated. House Bill 5781 would eliminate the mandated 2045 closure of coal and natural gas powered plants.  

Windhorst started serving in the state House of Representatives in January 2019. According to the General Assembly website, his legislative experience includes serving on the Restorative Justice and Judiciary - Criminal committees.