Springfield, IL…Yesterday, State Representative Mike Coffey (R-Springfield) toured the Kincaid Power Plant to gain further insight to the energy demand in Illinois. This tour involved the daily operations of a coal-fired power plant and the process it takes to generate electricity. There were also informative discussions about what Illinois must do to continue providing energy statewide at affordable rates. Rep. Coffey had this to say:
“Illinois will soon see an energy crisis if we continue to shut-down coal powered facilities with no clear solution to replace energy sources,” said Rep. Coffey. “Our residents and businesses need affordable energy rates, and we need to bring legislation to the House floor to ensure costs don’t skyrocket out of control. The demand for energy is rising and rather than shutting down coal plants, we need sound policies in place, so job creators and families have low-cost energy. I will continue to fight for reliable and affordable energy.”
Illinois has an aggressive agenda to operate under 100% renewable energy by 2050. While this sounds good in theory, current policies and lack of bi-partisan discussions makes this plan look like a catastrophic crisis in the making. Illinois cannot afford to overbuild and invest into projects that would generate a fraction of energy that of coal. This issue must be addressed with real solutions, or the state of Illinois will be importing energy at a high cost.
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